Me, Myself & I

Getting older is scary....or maybe it just is for me. We go from living and growing up with our parents and siblings to college where you are always living with other people. Cohabitation is comfortable because it is what we are always use to. Thankfully Shelby had spent all summer living with me. In a panic that I was going to be alone, I considered the option of having Lily (who is litter box trained) stay with me to keep me busy. 

Now I chose to live on my own after college, thinking it would be awesome to have my own place, which it is. Shelby & I brought her down to Cincinnati for a week for a trial run to see how things would go. She did adjust pretty well. However, a pet is a lot of commitment. I began thinking about how she was going to be alone for 9 hours a day when Shelby went back to school and it made me feel bad. And in the future my career is only going to get even busier. I loved the idea of taking her on walks, especially since Cincinnati has some great parks! I thought it would be good to keep me active and not so lonely. Lily was able to continue using the litter box while she was here, but always peed on the tile when I was gone. I had also set up a webcam while I went to dinner one day to see if she barked while I was gone. She didn't bark, but she cried the whole 3 hours and jumped/scratched my door. Actually, ruining my apartment door. Not okay!

It was then that I started thinking about the commitment of having a pet. Yes, she would keep me company. Yes, she was that little bit of home that I needed. And yes, she was perfectly trained. However, I am at the age where I don't need or want to stay home all weekend. I want to enjoy my freedom, and I want to not feel guilty if I have to stay at work late or need to run an errand. I don't want to have to worry if I leave her alone for a night (no wonder they call us the "I want" generation). A pet in a way ties you down to a place. I wouldn't just be able to go get in the car and drive to visit Shelby or my friends for a weekend without having to find a sitter. Living alone will be hard, especially so far away from family. But I have realized that I need to accept living alone and not rely on someone or something else for entertainment. I had a really hard time accepting that she needed to go back home because I wanted it to work out so badly! Then I thought to myself, why did I want her here so much? To keep me busy was the only answer I could come up with. Dogs are expensive for one thing, and that is money that I could have going some more important. Not to mention, I cannot have her ruining my apartment that I spent so much time making nice.

Therefore, we now consider Lily's stay a mini vacation in Cincinnati! She went on a lot of walks and probably got more exercise than she ever had in her life. While I am going to miss her, she reminded me of how much of a clean freak I am when it comes to dog hair and odor smells... but most importantly she helped me realize that I need to be okay being alone. I believe this is an issue that many people have a hard time with. I think it is important for one to be able to be comfortable living on their own because it shows a sign of independence and maturity that others may not get to develop if they immediately move in with a significant other, parents, roommate etc. It's time for me to find some hobbies, enjoy my free time and live my life!