For my whole life, my sister or my roommate was just an arm’s length away. Quite literally. Growing up, my younger sister and I shared a room and later just a bathroom, and in college, my roommate Kate and I lived in a tiny room in our sorority house. (We affectionately called it our “shoebox.”)

Well, 14 months ago, that all changed.

After graduating college, I moved into my own apartment and began a journey that I feel has taught me to be truly independent. Sadly, today marks the end of a great season as I turn in my apartment key and prepare to start another adventure in Nashville (and get married!).

Thinking back over the past 14 months, I have learned a tremendous amount, and if given the chance to live alone, I hope every person – male or female – will take the chance to do so. So, I dedicate this blog post to celebrating the top 10 lessons I learned from living alone.

1. You have the freedom to just be.

Whether it’s binge watching your favorite show for eight hours or walking around half-dressed trying to figure out what to wear, no one else is there to judge you for your actions. Specifically being in graduate school, I loved being able to stay up until 4:30 a.m. with all of the lights on to finish studying or write a paper, knowing I wasn’t bothering a roommate in the process.

2. The bills are all on you.

I’m pretty sure I’ve developed a low-key paranoia that I’m going to forget to pay a bill, but alas, I haven’t forgotten to pay any bills and they haven’t shut my electricity off. So, everything is good.

3. Pantries don’t just magically restock.

Being in graduate school, I had a schedule that changed A LOT, but one thing was consistent: my Sunday night grocery trips. In fact, I’m ashamed to say I spent more money at the grocery store than anywhere else. Having my own kitchen for the first time this year, I became painfully aware of how quickly things expire and how expensive groceries are, especially if you like to buy fresh ingredients.

4. Prioritizing a social life is key.

Even in all its glory, living by yourself can be lonely sometimes. Outside of work and school, it could be very easy to not see people – especially if you like to stay home all the time. That’s why scheduling get-togethers and dinner dates is so important; it takes being intentional in friendships to a whole new level.

5. Being alert and safety conscious never stops.

I’d like to preface this lesson by saying I lived in a very safe apartment with a gated parking garage. However, on my first few nights living alone, it took me forever to fall asleep at night because every strange noise scared me. Over time, I wasn’t scared anymore, but I continued to be cautious and alert. I always locked my door – no matter the time of day – and knew where my mace and cast iron skillets were (defense weapons, right?).

6. No one is there to judge you for cooking fails.

To be honest, I will probably have many more of these.

7. Creative and decorative inspiration can run wild.

Very few times in life can a space be 100% reflective of who you are. But when you live alone, every color choice, pillow, accessory, and furniture placement are all your decisions – without having to account for anyone else’s opinions. For someone like me who has enjoyed flipping through Southern Living magazines since I was 6 years old, this was a dream come true.

8. Making friends with neighbors is hard.

Coincidentally, I already knew the people who lived in the two units across from me, but besides them, I never met a single neighbor in my apartment complex. Weird, right? Especially for someone as social as me. I attribute this to the fact that everyone is coming and going at different times and people don’t hang out in the apartment hallways, like a person might hang out in their front yard. As I prepare to marry Alex in September and move into his neighborhood, I’m excited to have more opportunities to meet neighbors!

9. Cleaning takes longer than you’d think.

My mom told me on multiple occasions I should count my blessings that I had less than 1,000 sq. ft. and only one toilet to clean. But even then, cleaning the whole apartment (and I really do mean whole apartment – scrubbing, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, etc.) took me over an hour. As a busy graduate student, it was easy to let a few weeks slip by before I’d block off an hour or so for another deep clean. Ultimately, I figured out that cleaning one thing at a time every few days worked a lot better than trying to do it all at once.

10. Personal growth comes in leaps and bounds.

Combining all the lessons learned, the overall personal growth I experienced is astounding. I loved being able to spend hours uninterrupted in self-reflection, read a new book cover to cover to satisfy my curiosity, try a new health regimen and hold myself accountable, and be my own handyman. Living alone may have brought a lot of firsts for me, but this season of life has made me more well-rounded and will be a time I’ll forever cherish.