My quiet time

Though the boy has only officially been living with me for 3 weeks, for 3 months before then we were practically living together. He would stay over my place every night, going over to his place once a week for a couple of hours to do laundry (he had a washer/dryer in his apartment, while I have to settle for a laundry room and this little machine -- which I still adore). I gave him the keys early May and he is usually already there when I get home from work.

So my day to day life has not changed much after he officially moved in. Sure, now I had more stuff (we have thankfully sold the last piece of extra furniture on Thursday), but everything else remained the same. For him it was a bit different, of course. He had to actually pack, move, return his keys. For me, it's been the same life of two months ago, just with more stuff and without the option of free parking in Ballston.

Life has been good -- we get along incredibly well and it is peaceful. I was surprised by myself that after living alone for ten years, that I wasn't eager for my quiet alone time.

But then yesterday I realized that not only I still wanted my alone time, but I was getting my alone time.

For the two years since I started this job, I always made sure I had a buddy to have lunch with, booking myself solid from Monday through Friday. But in the last couple of months, I haven't even made an effort, and though I make plans about once a week with a friend or another, most days I look forward to eating my lunch alone, reading a book. I usually even try to eat away from our cafeteria, in our 3rd floor reading area which is a lot less crowded and a lot more quiet.

I hadn't even noticed this change of behavior until yesterday, when a conversation a couple of tables down from me was bothering me. The conversation wasn't loud, it wasn't even in English, but just the noise was enough to end my peaceful silence. And that's when it hit me: I was getting my alone time during lunch, instead of at home.

And that's why, I haven't had the craving for some quiet time at home. It's why the change from living by myself for so long to now having someone else sharing my 700 sq ft one bedroom condo was not bothering me, it was seamless.

Now more than ever I look forward for my reading time. It's what keeps me sane, and likely what keeps peace at home.