I have only ever lived completely alone once in my life, during my final year at university. Before that, it was always roommates for the first 3 years of university. For most of my life, I have shared room with my sisters. I do love my family. But sometimes, I just crave my own space, quiet and privacy and the freedom that comes with it.
Now that I've graduated I am back at my parents house. And to be honest, living at home has some undeniable perks. I am talking free food, free electricity, free WiFi (most times) and water, literally everything covered. It is a financial lifesaver, especially when you are just starting out.
But it comes with a prices 😂. That price is paid in chores, errands and constant energy. I have to wake up early every morning to sweep and clean. There are meals to help prepare, errands to run, and a whole list of daily duties that never seem to end. The most frustrating part though ? The never-ending commentary on my phone usage. To my parents every time I'm on my phone, I am just scrolling endlessly. They do not see what I am learning, what I'm writing or opportunities I'm chasing, well sometimes too I do spend quite a huge amount of time on the media. In their eyes, our generation is just permanently glued to our devices for no good reason and scrolling endlessly.
Now let's rewind to my final year. My God The freedom! I had my own space, my own schedule. No one to tell me when to to wake up or what to do. The chores was minimal and peace was maximum 😌 .
But freedom came with it own lessons as well. While my parents covered my rent, I had to budget my monthly allowance to pay for electricity, Data (WiFi), food and everything else. There were months I overspent and had to make serious compromises, like surviving on rice only for a week.
Now I am enjoying the comfort and convenience of home, and I have more freedom than before because, I'm older now and I am a responsible but then I still don't have privacy and peace of just being alone and alone. At home food is available 24/7, and I don't have much to worry about. But I also don't have much control over my time or space. On my own, I had freedom and privacy but also the constant pressure to manage every cedi perfectly.
For now I'm just appreciating the free food, and having the feel of home till one day I move out. Maybe to my husbands house or something 😂