The Search for Quiet Time

This past weekend, my guy and our roommate went away for the weekend on a guy’s trip with a friend. One of my close friends – with whom I spend most of my time with, especially on weekends – was also out of town. This meant that for the first time in at least several months and possibly a year, I was home alone. And it was glorious.

Before I realized I’d be home alone, I had some goals for the weekend. There were several things I needed to write, some books I needed to finish and review, and I wanted to clean the apartment up a bit. This is the same weekend agenda I’ve had for weeks now, and it never gets done because there’s always something else coming up. Now that I was alone, I was able to read all of my books, clean the apartment up a bit, and write most of what I needed to write. There’s still a lot I need to do, but I got much more done than I have in long time.

But even more than having a productive weekend, I had a wonderfully uneventful one. It’s easy to get caught up in who wants to go where and what they want to do next; there’s never any real quiet time. I realized this weekend that I really miss that quiet time. I miss spending the day curled up on the couch with a good book in my hand and nobody around. And while I did miss my friends and there were some events I would have liked to make it to, I was so content with my weekend once it was over, that I’d do it the same way again.

I’m not going to stop going out or hanging out with friends, but I am going to try to take advantage of the quiet moments. Maybe I’ll head outside and read by the river, or go for more morning runs alone, but however I do it, it needs to get done.

Do you like spending time by yourself? Do you think you get enough quiet time?