My sophomore year, I lived in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on East Thach.

Back in the ‘30s, the building was dorm housing for married students. The building holds an antique charm, weird smells, and creaky floors. But I loved my experience there and learned a lot from living on my own.

About Myself:

Growing up I was never really sure if I was introverted or extroverted, but in my time living on my own, I officially decided that I am an extrovert. The good news: I know myself better. The bad news: it was sometimes hard to have so much time to myself – I won’t sugarcoat that. However, living alone gave me a deeper appreciation for the time I spent with my friends.    

About Others:

Another thing this experience taught me is that other people are not space and time fillers. Spend time with others to learn, to grow, to love, to help, to have fun, but not to mindlessly fill your time. I learned that sometimes sitting alone – even when I might rather be with people to distract myself – is both healthy and good.

About Auburn:

Auburn is truly what you make it. From my living room window, I could see the rooftop of the Collegiate Hotel, and I always got a thrill watching the nightlife up there. Auburn is both sleepy and fast-paced, chill and innovative, boring and enchanting all at the same time. I experienced all of it and had lots of time for reflection in my little apartment two blocks from Samford.

There were definitely nights when I got scared from creaky noises in my hall and mornings when I didn’t say a word out loud until noon. But overall, I learned from my experience living alone and suggest everyone dig deeper into self-discovery by spending some quality time with yourself.

Be well, Auburn.

Photography: Jacob H.