10 Things I Didn’t Realize About Living on my Own

Wow, where does time go? Last month marked a year since I moved out of my parent’s house and into my own place in town. (So far, I’ve not had to beg a rent payment out of them, which makes me proud!) So in honor of that milestone, I thought I’d share a list of ten things I’ve learned or come to realize about living on my own in the past year. I may add to this list later on, but these are just some things I thought of for now.


10. It’s up to you kid...

I’ve discovered that when you move out, you don’t have your parents going behind you to double check that things are getting done, like paying bills and doing chores. Housework, such as dusting and general cleaning goes undone if you don’t take initiative to do it yourself. If you forget to do the dishes, they’ll still be sitting there, waiting for you the next time. I finally decided to give up on owning house plants after several died because I kept forgetting to water them - my apartment is now decorated with ample plastic plants. I just keep thinking, “thank goodness there’s a no-pets policy in this building, or I’d be in real trouble!”

9. I’m a big girl now!...

Yes, you do get an overall ‘big girl’ feeling for accomplishing any number of tasks once you move out on your own. For me, the first rent payment and buying accessories for my place was the moment that I felt that I was “standing on my own two feet” by God’s blessing.

8. It’s all on you...

Living on your own forces you to take a larger amount of responsibility for your actions because you’re taking care of you. Like when talking to your landlord or vehicle mechanic - I’ve learned that I pay even closer attention when talking to people now because I’ve got to remember what they said later and can no longer rely on my parents being there as an extra set of ears to help remind me later.

7. Your time is your own - at least, what little of it there is...

Where does the time go? I mean, really! Because I’m taking on so much more responsibility for myself, my time seems to be leached away before my very eyes. When I’m not at work, I’m cleaning and keeping ahead of book work and housework. I’ve always felt that “idle hands are the Devil’s handy work,” so I keep myself busy with church activities and projects to use my time. But that’s my decision (i.e. I can make those decisions on my own now...)

6. Don’t lock yourself out...

Trust me on this one - I learned the hard way the importance of making a spare key and having it somewhere other than on the other side of a locked door. For the full story, see the post from earlier this year.

5. A table for...one?

It’s a great adjustment for me to learn how to cook for just one person. Having come from a family of seven, my brain thinks big when it comes to fixing a meal. And it’s not like I was ever much of a cook to begin with. I really miss my mom’s cooking now, especially when my latest attempt to clone one of her dishes doesn’t turn out right or I’m eating my fifth frozen dinner in a week. It can be a challenge to eat healthy that way too...

4. Can I get an extended expiration on that?

One of my biggest pet peeves, I’ve found, is that groceries don’t come with an extended expiration date. At the very least, they could make a “single person portion” so that I don’t have to throw out so much food that’s gone bad. Another thing about groceries is that I realize now how much I took advantage of my mom doing all the shopping an keeping track of what was actually in the cupboards. That’s almost a full time task just for one person!

3. Spread your wings and fly!

I love having so much room! I grew up in a single-wide trailer house with four siblings sharing one bathroom and three sisters packed into one bedroom. It’s a good thing that I’m not agoraphobic or else I couldn’t handle all the extra space I have now. I especially love having an office/library where I can escape to write or read.

2. And remember...

I spend almost every weekend back at the farm with my family, so you’d think that I would learn by now what I do and don’t need for those weekend stays. I can’t tell you how many times I forget clean socks, my toothbrush, pajamas, or work clothes in general (Come-on! I’m heading to a farm for crying-out-loud!)

1. I must admit, I still get home sick...

Yes, I’m ‘fessing-up to it - I still get an uncontrollable longing for home. It’s not so much the house I grew up in, but the people I grew up with. I consider family to be the most important thing this side of heaven. I go kind of crazy sometimes when I’m by myself. Although my sister and I share an apartment, because of our work schedules, we are hardly ever there at the same time. It’s at times like that, after I’ve eaten a microwavable meal, washed dishes, tidied up the place - when I realize I have nothing else to do - I find myself missing the people I call home the most.