Imagine coming home from class and it being completely silent.

The dishes are clean, the rooms are arranged exactly the way you want and all the food in the refrigerator is there unless you eat it.

Welcome to the world of living alone.

I’ve lived in this dreamland for over a year now, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I go to bed as early as I want and don’t have to worry about anyone stumbling home drunk or staying up late to finish homework.

There’s no one to argue with about visitor policies or to secretly hate for not taking out the trash.

It’s beautiful.

But as wonderful as living alone is, there are some downsides.

For one thing, I can’t pass off any unwanted chores to anyone, as they all fall on me.

Also, living alone is expensive. My rent is around $655 and that doesn’t even include utilities or other essential living expenses, like food.

But the most difficult part about living alone is probably the solitude.

Yes, there’s no one to argue with, but there’s also no one to talk to when I want to be sociable.

Granted, these moments of needing human interaction are few and far between, as I am kind of socially awkward and tend to prefer the quiet. But they do still happen.

I normally just text someone or find comfort in a massive marathon of YouTube videos.

Ultimately, I’m pretty happy with the living situation I have now, and I do feel spoiled from time to time.

Whenever anyone complains about their roommates or has to scramble to find someone new to live with, I smile internally and thank my lucky stars that I have the opportunity to live alone.

Now all there’s left to do is sit back, relax and enjoy a book in peace.

Oh wait, I forgot to do the dishes.

Megan Mann can be reached at [email protected] or @meganisthemann on Twitter.