Alone

     Solitude is something I greatly appreciate. Until recently, I never had a lot of chances to be alone. I lived in my grandparents' house with my two sisters, my stepbrother, my mom, and my stepdad. We are all loud people, so all of us living together rarely allowed for any quiet moments. As of last year, we all don't live in the same house anymore, so it has been a lot quieter. However, just because there's less people in the house doesn't mean the people themselves are any quieter. So between the loudness of my big family and being in school most of the day, solitude is something I don't come across very often.
     Every once in a couple months, my grandparents will visit my uncle in Florida for a couple weeks. This means that I get the house to myself for that period of time. I am so thankful for those couple weeks of peace. Last August, I had the house to myself for three weeks. It was lovely. I had to go to Gallery for the first week, but I had no set plans for the following two weeks. Even without adult supervision, I went on about my day like I normally would with the addition of a few more responsibilities. The thing I did a lot more than usual was shop for food. The grocery store is just down the block, so I would go there about two or three times a week because I never bought more food than was needed for a couple days at a time. I also walked there, so my purchases were limited to how much I could carry.
     I cooked almost all my meals. I hardly ever went out to eat or made something that was previously frozen. I took a lot of time and preparation with my food, too. The usual cold-cut sandwich for lunch turned into a sandwich with provolone, mozzarella, prosciutto, olive oil, and freshly picked basil from my garden. I would then heat up the sandwich to melt the cheese. I only put that much effort into my meals when I am alone and have time. I also baked a lot during my three weeks of being alone. It was wonderful.
     Solitude gives me a chance to actually enjoy activities that I like, such as cooking and baking. I had complete freedom during those three weeks, but I also had complete responsibility of everything. I had to keep the house in order, I had to feed myself, and I had to worry about transportation. I usually have these responsibilities on a normal basis, but they become more solidified when I'm alone. Regardless, I still really like being alone. I like how I have complete freedom, and I like how I can reflect on what I'm doing.