The warmth of the sun on my face at the Glade, music in my ears, and my thoughts running free—this is when I feel most at peace. There’s something about being alone, truly alone, that feels grounding. But at the same time, I thrive in spaces where I’m surrounded by diverse people, people with completely different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Just last night, I found myself at a friend’s birthday party, talking with international students, and we instantly connected over our shared language, Spanish. It was one of those moments where you realize how small yet vast the world is, how beautiful it is to bridge gaps through conversation.
I live for those connections. I love my friends, my different friend groups, the energy that comes with each of them. But I also love being alone. Life is all about balance.
And yet, in college, it feels like we are conditioned to always have people by our side. There’s an unspoken pressure to never be alone, to always be seen with a group, as if solitude is something to be feared. But why? Why are we so scared of sitting alone in a café, walking through campus with just our thoughts, or studying without the noise of company? Maturity, I think, plays a big role. The more we grow, the more we realize that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely. It means being comfortable with yourself.
I used to know someone who was terrified of solitude. They were, to be honest, a toxic person—constantly making fun of me for doing things on my own, for not needing someone by my side at all times. But now, looking back, I feel for them. Because that kind of dependency isn’t about loving friendships; it’s about fearing oneself. They needed constant validation from their friends, cared too much about how they were perceived, and it got in the way of what we could have been.
I urge you—go out alone. Take yourself on a solo date, go study in a new place without texting someone to come with you, eat lunch alone without scrolling on your phone as a distraction. When you’re alone, you truly get to know yourself. And once you do that, the friendships you cultivate will be built on something real, not just the need to fill space.
Being alone is not something to escape from—it’s something to embrace.
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