For the first time, for ten days during the past almost week, my parents went on vacation and left me with the responsibility of watching the house and the dog (and myself). Feed the dog, don’t burn the house down, remember to wash the dishes, always have food for yourself, do whatever you want within reason. This was my first long-term experience taking care of a household by myself. I was able to learn a few things.

Rain can definitely be a gift when you least expect it:

Before they left, my mom had given me another task on top of taking care of the dog and myself. She wanted me to water her vegetable garden every three days at least. She even gave me the how-tos for it. Now on top of everything else, watering the garden had been the farthest thing from my mind. Luckily, on the days when I was scheduled to do it, my town had been hit with pouring rain. It left that to do the job for me, leaving me free of one responsibility that I probably was bound to forget.

Taking care of a dog is much more demanding than taking care of yourself:

This is to be expected. And may be an exaggeration. But there’s a lot that comes to being in charge of my dog, as there of course is with taking care of any other dog. I’m getting up around 5:30 a.m. to the whines and whimpers of my dog from the bottom of the stairs to be let out, because old age starts to make him lose the effort to climb up himself. I realize sometimes he scratches his food and water bowl, not because he wants to be fed and watered, but because he feels like he has a lack of attention. And the way my sleep schedule differs with both my parents, sometimes I sleep in till two in the afternoon, leaving him the dog to not be able to hold his bladder sometimes. Fortunately, it’s gotten easier to clean up. Although he can be a bit of a handful, I have to admit, it’s nice having had some prolonged one-on-one time with him (when he’s not eating or sleeping).

Ordering delivery isn't as fickle as it appears to be:

During the last couple days, my stock of premade refrigerated food had all been used up, so I had to rely on other sources to get my meals. I ordered Chinese from my usual restaurant. It was the first time I ordered online using a company I’ve never used before and it did seem skeptical and questionable. People had left reviews over the time it took to deliver and the state the food was in by the time it got to the house. But I took a leap and went for it. I didn’t even know if my order online had went through to the restaurant and there was no way of actually tracking it. Half an hour later, I hear the doorbell ring and the food is there, warm and fresh. It goes to show that sometimes you have to trust your own instincts and not fully believe in what people review online.

I'm becoming more prepped for when I eventually get my own place:

I’ve learned how to take on all the responsibilities of managing myself when home alone. I’m in no rush to move out, I still have to figure out my post-grad life and where I want to be, but I know that moving out is something I will have to do eventually. By then, I’ll probably have a few things more to learn, but I’m sure I can take it step by step. Maybe I’ll even guarantee myself a roommate -- one probably not a four-legged creature who uses the outside as a toilet. Or maybe both.

Being home alone is a mixed bag. Every foreign sound is an intruder, 911 is more fixed in your brain, needing to be your dog’s constant company is draining, but the free reign and peacefulness has been a real treat.