Nicole, Party of 1

Well, its official I am roommate-less. Sara moved out and in with her fiance this weekend. On a side note Joe also moved into his apartment in Mantua, NJ, where he has signed a six month lease.. but more on that later. To me, this all was a lot to take for one weekend.

Living with Sara the past four years has been an amazing ride. There were ups and downs like any roommate but mostly I look back on the time with fond memories. We did some pretty great things together. When Sara and I moved to Manayunk we were mere acquaintances, but in the last four years have developed into good friends. Manayunk has been like an extension of college for me -- except with more money and no homework! We went to bars, movies, took trips, threw parties, shopped, the list goes on. My only regret is that we didn't get to spend as much time together in recent months as we are both busy with our boyfriends (which I owe her & Steve for because without them I wouldn't have met Joe). I must say that her leaving feels like the end of an era, as I am pretty positive that she will officially be my last roommate. A lot has changed in the last four years, and especially in the last eighteen months I feel like time is moving faster then ever. Then and now:
May, 2007
January, 2011

You may remember this post from 2008 where I listed out things that every woman should know how to do. Looking over the list, I feel that I have accomplished the majority of the things except one: EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

I must say that I stuggle with being alone.. and I don't like it at all. My mom tells me that ever since I was a baby, I was not good at being alone. I don't know what it is. Its not really sleeping alone that scares me. I think what scares me most is the silence that comes with being alone. Its not having someone to talk to that bothers me. Most of all not having someone to talk to over dinner. Cooking and eating dinner was always a time to reconnect with the people I care about. It was originally a time to reconnect with my family. In college.. it was a time to bond with my L5 roommates since we made it a point to cook together and eat like a family. Sara and I also enjoyed cooking for each other and sharing our love for making a great meal. That is what I will miss most. The joy of cooking is watching other people enjoy what you've created. You know, until I started writing this, I didn't really think about that as something I'd miss most.

I feel the same way I felt when I was leaving for Delaware. The future is so uncertain all of a sudden. A lot of my friends are moving out of Manayunk to the suburbs or the city with their boyfriends/fiances. That being said, Joe and I have a loose plan that he will live in his place for six months, and then move in with me... but who knows really what the next six months will bring.

The truth is, I am not sure I am going to like living alone at all. Although, like the article says, every woman should know how to live alone, even if she doesn't like it. So, in the next six months, I am going to give my best attempt learning to living alone.. as this could be my only opportunity. I want to learn to fill the silence that comes with living alone by doing things that bring me happiness. I plan to exercise, read, try new hobbies. Who knows, maybe it will not be so bad after all being Nicole, Party of 1