As a 22-year-old college student, there is one experience I have yet to have: living on my own. During my years at college, I had wonderful parents who let me still live under their roof as well as feed me and not charge me for still staying. This benefit helped as I live 40 minutes away from campus, and driving there is a breeze. I do however walk around campus sometimes wondering what it would have been like if I had lived in a dorm (since I was a transfer student I wasn’t required), or what it would have been like to have an apartment.
I did, however, have the opportunity for a week to stay at my aunt and uncles while they traveled. It was simple: watch the dog, watch the house and enjoy a fully furnished home at no expense to you. Again, this wasn't really the “college living” that most students go through, especially when there are bills to pay. This small window though allowed me to experience just a taste of what this all would feel like. I was also fortunate to have my boyfriend stay with me for the week as well, providing comfort so that I wasn’t alone, but also the experience of being able to live with one another to see how we would act.
The first night there was what you would expect. We went over to the house that night after I got out of work. With our packed bags it felt more like a vacation of our own, but also a great foreshadow into how much crap I’m going to have to pack in order to live in an entirely new space. We had free range of practically everything: a bedroom, fully furnished kitchen and house as well as access to satellite TV. While this may seem too ideal for those who want to live on their own, rest assure that I have had many discussions with my boyfriend about what we would deem as necessities if we were to live together in the future.
Over the next few days, the house was slowly feeling like home. My boyfriend and I would coordinate with each other about where we would be, when we would get home, and figuring out what we both wanted for dinner each night. This was another treat I didn’t expect: having someone else to share the home with. While I mentioned before that my boyfriend and I have previously talked about living together, it is rare to get alone time when both of us are still living at home. This treat was that I had someone to rely on, to come home to at night.
Having the opportunity to sit down with my significant other and discuss what we wanted for dinner wasn’t new to me either, but it was also planning out the simple groceries we needed and finding a recipe that we both agreed on (which didn’t take long). Since we had access to a kitchen, we wanted to make full use of it. Cooking, doing the dishes and just keeping after each other was different in a way during this time. It felt more caring, easier than it would be staying at each other’s houses. We communicate and work together, and our system of dinner, you do dishes this night, or him making the bed each morning after I had left for class. Little things that I know we will both take for granted one day, but still nice to recognize.
We also had the pleasure of celebrating Valentine’s Day while in the house. I came home to candles lit and roses on the table, practically every romantic’s dream, and something you can’t execute as well if we were at one another’s houses. This was followed by a great dinner, both of us sitting at the table and then snuggles on the couch. The best moment was when Alex and I were laid on the couch, watching "Impractical Jokers," and my cousin’s dog was laid up to my side. It was quiet and a nice moment that I am happy that we could share.
I know that living together can be hard for some. Money can be tight and fights happen, but from what I experienced under my circumstances, I really cannot wait to be living on my own. There is a freedom to it all, to know that you’re independent and self-reliant. There was also that stomach-drop feeling of being alone. You have to make sure you’re safe, make sure you’re feeding yourself and keeping up with the house that keeps you. The added bonus to my experience was indeed my boyfriend and having the opportunity to share the week with him. It was a great opportunity to “play house,” and leaving at the end of the week still felt too hard to do. (It also didn’t help that I was rushing to pack my bag before having to go to work). It was a surreal experience that I hope to have more permanently in my future.
