I am often complaining about being alone. One of my ambitions for my year abroad was to overcome this huge character flaw, and embrace the solitude of which I know I have plenty. In my time alone I’ve managed to write and read a lot, keep up with recent films, and perfect the art of eating Bombay mix (I can now successfully consume a handful whilst only losing an average of 5% of the original handful. It’s a skill I hope to possess throughout life)
In between not doing anything and lamenting not doing anything, I have devised a checklist for anyone else who struggles with being alone. Maybe some of your friends have left after the first semester, or maybe you’re just an abhorrent human being who no one wants to be around. Either way, these are for you if you hate being on your own.
- Radio 4 is your friend.
Even if you don’t want to listen to Germaine Greer talk about cultivating an ecosystem in Australia on Woman’s Hour, having the illusion of voices and people makes it significantly less isolating. Also good for keeping up to date with current affairs and avoid being totally cut off from British news.
- Embrace being alone and stop trying to avoid it.
In my first term I was adamant not to be alone. I would contrive ways of seeing people even if it was dull, and highly fear the idea of seclusion, which made its inevitability even more terrifying. Now I’m all like ‘2 days without seeing another human being? And what?’
- Start Running
Or join a gym or something. Running is terribly boring, I actually really hate it, I’m crap at it and it’s really hard and involves moving. However, with lots of spare time, you can start to get good at it and justify buying really cool running clothes so you look swish. It kills lots of time and it’s pretty useful for existing and such.
- Use your time to become culturally aware
Remember when you had no time to keep up with Breaking Bad, read the latest Zadie Smith Novel or download the most recent Beyonce album? Well now you do. So take advantage of it.
- Masturbate
Pretty self-explanatory.
- Perfect the ability of being productive
Self-motivation is probably one of the best skills you can ever learn in life over teleportation or learning how to make sushi.
- Podcasts = Happiness
They help you forget the time passing when you’re out and about, making endless expanses of time seem tolerable. I recommend ‘BBC 5 live Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Film Review Show’, ‘Welcome to Night Vale’ and the whole backlog of Adam and Joe podcasts.
- Aim to leave your room, you lazy sh*t
Seriously? It’s 4 and you’re still not dressed? At least go buy some milk or something.
With these words of wisdom your long expanses of time will feel like a blink of the eye, until you get back to university, wishing you were back on your year abroad so you didn’t have to write that bloody essay.
Ruby Lott-Lavigna