An Australian author living in Norway

Alone Is . . .

Alone is getting home at 1 in the morning and not having to worry about waking anyone up. In fact, you can make a cup of tea, turn all the lights on, and play some music.

Alone is sleeping until you’re truly ready to wake up, and then staying in bed just a little longer.

Alone is choosing an uncompromisingly feminine aesthetic for your new apartment, and not having to explain it to anyone.

Alone is eating if, when, and what you want.

Alone is choosing what to watch on TV, even if it’s trashy, pretentious, or anything in between—and not having to listen to groans or see eye-rolls.

Alone is not eating all day long because you were too busy building Ikea bookshelves and then ending up having a bag of tortilla chips and a bottle of Coke for dinner.

Alone is choosing when to be with people, and for how long.

Alone is drinking the salad dressing out of the bottom of the bowl, or licking the last bit of gravy right off the plate, without having to hide in the kitchen.

Alone is sitting in the cinema knowing no one’s going to steal your popcorn or ask you about a plot point.

Alone is making yourself and your duvet into a burrito without anyone unrolling you.

Alone is getting home from a party and not having anyone look just a little disappointed when you take off your fancy clothes and makeup.

Alone is wearing your snuggie to bed because it’s below freezing outside and it just feels right, even though the heating is on.

Alone is the sense of achievement you feel when you accomplish something you might normally have left to someone else, like installing a light fitting, or measuring twice and drilling once.

Alone is singing as loud as you dare along with the radio and not caring when your voice cracks or you go off key.

Alone is blogging at 2am while slightly drunk on the champagne you shared with old friends to toast your new life.

Alone is doing what you want to do, when you want to do it, and making no apologies, even to yourself. To everyone who is alone this Valentine’s Day, I raise my salad bowl to you. You’ve got this.

photo credit: 165 via photopin (license)

5 Comments

  1. Claire

    I love this, Zoe. It is so true.

  2. Wendy Creek

    Sounds like me when I first got divorced. 😉 Enjoy it zoe! P.S You forgot to add having a bubble bath without complaint of how high you’ve filled the bath & enjoy it uninterrupted with no eye rolls at the candles you’ve arranged around the bath & soothing music your playing.

  3. Ian MaCloud

    I think you’re wonderful.

  4. Liz

    Alone is all of those things and more Zoe; never less.

  5. Bernie

    Alone is when your sitting at home busting with ideas and thoughts you just have to share with that someone special and you automatically turn to her to share them and you suddenly realise she is no longer there.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2024 Zoë Writes

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑

Discover more from Zoë Writes

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading