One of the most important decisions of growing up and being independent is whether to live alone or to choose a roommate. Perhaps you have had enough of staying in messy dorms and the even messier roommate. You are finally ready to stay alone, cook alone and do the cleaning alone.
But wait, what about the time when you got really sick and could not get out of bed? That messy roommate of yours did stick around for you then.
*Dilemma in my head*
Certainly, the perks are many and the thought of living alone is tempting. Yet it is a bold step to take.
All those bad stories about bad roommates that you might have heard and experienced are enough to repulse you. Yet there is the nagging feeling in your chest about the expenses that would be lowered, the chores that would be divided and the loneliness that would become easier to battle.
A helpful roommate is a blessing.
It is very much applicable while you are in a new city for the first time. A co-worker or a fellow classmate would be suitable until the time you get acquainted with your surroundings. Besides, in metropolitan cities, the sky-high prices might significantly deter you from having your dream apartment alone.
The unhygienic or the too hygienic roomie
The most difficult people to live with under one roof are the ones who do not relate to your standards of hygiene. They could be too high maintenance or they might be as low maintenance as those who forget to flush the toilet. Nonetheless, it would be scary if they washed their sheets every time you or anybody else sat on them!
Cultural differences
If you and your roomie belong to places that are poles apart ethnically, be ready to have some snide remarks and sulking expressions at the very least.
Related: Here’s A Crash Course For Surviving In A PG!
Many a time, the food habits and daily habits differ largely between states. A strictly vegan person might cringe at the sight of smoked pork and chicken. That is one awkward situation to deal with especially if you have come to a place far from home and now belong to the ethnic minority.
When you’re feeling blue
Everybody is prone to feeling low and seeking company at some point in time. To stay alone perennially would lead to bouts of depression.
To feel a human presence around you is enough to keep you sane! Yes, and that works even if it is an occasionally annoying presence!
Even if it means only small moments of togetherness such as going to the grocery store or half an hour of mealtime, your life would not feel like an empty shell in the “nobody comes, nobody goes” phase.
If you are somebody who is prone to feeling low, choosing a roommate would be the right thing to do.
Don’t let the following prevailing notion talk you into not having one!
The false glorification of living alone
The modern society believes in doing everything alone and in taking pride in it. However, too much glorification of it is nothing but the mere insecurity of having to mingle with other people around you. To have people around you gets you into the habit of doing at least a few things together. It makes one benevolent and tolerant of the ones different from you.
It is an escape that later makes one hesitant to come out of. It makes one so comfortable that we start believing that we are at our happiest. Let not the myth of comfort be misread as that of happiness.
The best way out of it would be too make your living arrangements such that you have a space of your own yet somebody so close by to be at your constant beck and call. Literally so.
Image Sources: Google Images
Sources: The Spruce, Quora, Apartment Guide
Also Read:
Is It Ever Okay To Share Passwords With Your Near And Dear Ones?
