Fortnight

I’ve officially moved into my new home, which over the past few nights I’ve molded into my Fortress of Solitude (though I doubt Superman ever had a roommate). Despite an overwhelming sense of relief and freedom, I am somewhat dismayed with certain aspects of this new found liberation. I’ve only been gone for two weeks, but I think that living in a new city can lead to a quick demise if you’re not careful. So before you just run away from home to live on your own, keep in mind a few things:

Everything is expensive. It doesn’t matter if you’re the heiress to the Oh Henry! candy bar fortune, the second you gain your independence you realize how ludicrously expensive all the little things are. Phones, lights, motorcars…most of your common luxuries (water, gas, food, internet)…are suddenly heaped into your lap and you realize that you’re quickly counting pennies to just be able to float on.

Everyone else is really weird. You’ve moved away from the family you’ve lived with for around 20 years (maybe a little more, maybe a little less) and suddenly you’re flung into groups of other people. Strangers. Weirdos. Transients. You may think that you’ve known the world because you’ve seen TV shows, or have traveled or that you’re just open minded…and all those may be true, but nevertheless, unfamiliarity is disorienting. Different people have different ways of thinking and expressing themselves that you may have never even considered. I hate to rehash The Cave but it really is an excellent allegory for what I am trying to convey.

Assume everyone is trying to attack, rape or murder you (or if you’re in a Zombie Apocalypse situation, eat you). I don’t actually do this, but the thought does cross your mind a little more. Its not that all of a sudden the world’s criminals are coming to get you, but if you don’t think a little more whilst on your own, you might just let your guard down too much. But I do want to add that whilst in Philadelphia I’ve met quite a few nice strangers who’ve helped me with the trains and finding my way. Obviously, if I was paralyzed with fear I’d get further and further lost and scared. It’s all about balance.

Living on your own is super boring. I literally did nothing when I was back at home most of the time. I would sit and watch reruns of old TV shows, or occasionally read or spend hours surfing the web, and those are all fine things to do. But don’t assume that’s just going to change automatically when you move away from your comfort zone. You have to make things happen, you have to seek out adventure, otherwise you’ll just fall into the same old patterns. There is some grand notion that living off in an apartment with some friends or by yourself will turn your life into a sitcom. But unless you have a job, or school, or some kind of plan, your days will wither away into indistinct eon’s quite quickly.

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