Here's a secret about me: I love being on my own. I love my "me" time. The more people I meet, the more I love being by myself. Some people really can't handle being by themselves, they can't fathom the idea of being completely alone and finding ways to entertain themselves or going out in public to do things. There's a negative stigma around being alone, but being alone does not mean you're lonely. It's important to have the confidence to be on your own, to accept the silence around you and be completely with yourself. Here are five things that, as an adult, you should definitely learn to do on your own:

1. Go Shopping: shopping is something I've mastered doing on my own.I don't need second opinions or suggestions. If I love it, I get it. If I don't, I leave it. I find it more calming to go shopping on my own, as opposed to with a friend. We both have places we want to go and there's only so much time, so one of us gets left out to dry (usually me because I know I can always go on my own another day).

2. Go out to eat: I recently did this for the first time on my own. It was at Panera, which was more chill than if I were to go to Mongolian BBQ or something. I ordered my food, sat down, and ate in complete silence. I wasn't the only one who was eating alone, which I learned after observing the entire restaurant to see who was judging me. It was nice to be alone. I could eat my food as fast or slow as I wanted without having to keep with conversation and worry about if I looked like an animal while eating. Did I care if I had a broccoli cheddar soup mustache? Nope. Because no one was there to judge me for it.

3. Go to the movies: I have yet to do this on my own, but it's on my to-do list. I envy people who walk into a movie theater with a full tub of popcorn and sit down on their own. That takes courage. It really shouldn't be any different from watching a movie at your house, but the idea of going out in public to watch a movie alone takes a strong individual. When others look at you and think "Oh my god, is she alone? Why would she come alone?" You can sit there proudly with your popcorn on your lap and watch every single scene without any interruptions. That sounds like heaven.

4. Stay in on a Friday or Saturday night: That's a sin, I know. Why stay in on a weekend night when I could go out?! Because it's relaxing. Life is a chaotic mess and having a night to yourself is the best thing you can do. I love it; I can do whatever I want to do and there are zero expectations for me to have fun, look like I'm having fun, or posting on social media. It's me and my choice of what to do--clean my room, watch a movie, go to bed early, do my nails - literally anything.

5. Watch the sunset: no one is there to ruin the moment by opening their big mouth and saying something. You can watch the colors paint the sky as the sun fades below the horizon. You can think about everything or you can think about nothing, but most importantly, you don't have to think about whatever the other person wants you to think about. You can be completely in the moment and appreciate the sky for all of it's beauty while feeling your insides become more whole, despite the fact you are on your own. Allow yourself to realize the world is much bigger than us.

The thing about being alone is that you're in this life with only one person you can count on, and that's you, so appreciate yourself, treat yourself, and love yourself enough to hang out with only you. Be selfish with your time and give it to yourself. Be confident in your own company and love every second of it.