While I do miss having The Man as part of my everyday life, there are many things I like about living and traveling alone. Her’s my top ten list of reason I like being by myself.

#1 I can toss and turn in my bed as much as I need to without fear of disturbing anyone.

#2 If I wake up at 5am (or 4:30 or 3:45), I can turn on the light and get to work without bothering someone who still wants to sleep.

#3 No one pulls the blankest off me in the night.

#4 I cook what I want when I want. No one announces at two o’clock in the afternoon that he’s hungry and wonders aloud when I’m going to cook dinner.

#5 No one is standing in front of me, wanting my attention when I’m in the middle of a project.

#6 While traveling, I can stop–or not–as I wish.

#7 No one uses my things, then fails to put them away in their proper places. (No one but me, that is.)

#8 I listen to whatever music I want to hear at any given moment,

#9 or I can sit in silence.

#10 I don’t have to worry about anyone’s happiness but my own.

It’s been helpful for me to remember that solitude comes with a lot of freedom.

I took the photo in this post.