In a far away place, people seem to find peace in every minute. Time walks little by little like our footsteps in slow motion. There is nothing left to hurry and no one’s asking if you’re going to meet the limit.

My mind starts to settle in a space full of harmony and silence as countless great views occupy my eyes. Every angle is like a box with surprises in it, waiting for me to open and discover what’s within. Every touch of wind tells me there’s something wonderful in this world despite the difficulties the city life provides. Every moment I spend is an escape to the fast paced soul satiated of nerve-racking arrangements, familiar and stranger people.

As I lay leisurely on the cold sand, I can feel my heartbeat like I was just born and nervous, but in a happy kind of way. There’s something in this place that makes me want to stay forever, if I do believe on everlasting. There’s something in me that has snapped and become satisfied with the idea of living the life against the secluded place I used to be acquainted with. There’s something about the people who smiled and waved at me in an unusual but gracious manner.

In a far away place, the pointless disagreements seem to find the right formula for its closing stages. The waves – big or small, are somehow remedial as it teaches me the significance of chasing after the direction of your choice. A choice no one will regret. 

Sunlight strikes blissfully on my skin like a touch from a longing lover. It doesn’t hurt this time. Sun is a friend in this far away place. We’re together, amazed with each other.

In a far away place, everything that remains unsolved for so many days has come to another beginning – something that we call an end.

It is a replica of everything I have in mind. The melody I love to hear. The reality of my dream. The cure for my frustrations. 

It’s somewhere I want to stay. It’s somewhere my joie de vivre lingers.  

Living alone doesn’t always mean you’re alone in life by and large. It simply stands for being independent – in which you no longer receive daily or monthly allowance from relatives, well-heeled partner, et al. 

From a brighter point of view, it implies one significant thing: living within your own only means you can still afford all your needs in order to be contented in this acquisitive society.

We can’t escape the fact that everything we do has ups and downs but the real challenge here is how you’re going to survive. Here are some tips based on my experiences that would somehow help you do ‘it’ on your own:

You are free to put your happiness on someone else’s shoulders.

Although you’ve already mastered minding-your-own-business kind of thing, it’s just quite sad that no one’s asking how your day went nor overwhelming questions like, “Is your t-shirt new?”

“Where have you bought that because it looks good on you, just so you know?”

“Does the food taste good?”

“Do you even like it?”

Damn. I know it’s hard. But to trounce all of these shadow-talking, you need to master the art of talking to a non-living creature. This is not insane; you just need to save yourself from loneliness. So go on! Cry over your laptop’s shoulders although it’s not called shoulders, just be extra careful not to drop your tears on it. Hold onto your pillow’s shoulders even though it has no actual ones. Don’t be shy to rest your head on your cabinet’s shoulders, it won’t be annoyed to you no matter how long you do it because it has no feelings anyway.

I know they are not ‘someone’ you can rely all the time but they are the depictions of the people who should be there for you in the first place. You just need to widen your imagination and do it as a reward for yourself for being no one but your own real self.

You are the outcome of your own doing.

If you don’t clean your stuffs and stay satisfied with your messy room, you must be prepared how to look exactly the same – chaotic and left out just the way it is. You can’t escape laziness but when it comes to cleanliness, you got all the time in the world. You are the only one who put everything out of order so it’s your responsibility to place everything back in its place. And so is your life. No one will ever force you to clean the house anymore. Look at your hands, you’re the only one who holds the precious time. This is all about your life now. Why not arrange it accordingly?  

You’re madly insane about tons of things but I’m sorry, there’s no room for tantrums here.

I know you have plenty of friends. But you can’t take home their ears just because you need them as everyday listeners to all the heavy burdens in your heart. Crying on your own is one of the habitual things that you needs to be in your system. Once you’ve done it, you’ll get used to it. Besides, talking only to yourself saves a lot of energy.

You need to invest for the future.

Yes, it’s not near yet it’s not so far so you have no choice but to spend your own money now. As in now.

I know you’ve thought about sacrificing your food expenses over the things that are not edible but no… you can’t starve yourself just because you don’t like to wake up the sleeping peso bills inside the Automated Teller Machine. You need to stay healthy and happy and be proud that all the things that make you who you are now are all because of a great person called ‘you’.

Besides, paying for everything is one of the greatest achievements that you must be proud of. You spend money for the food that you eat, for the water that you consume, for the movie tickets that makes you happy for two and a half hours, for the electricity that you seldom use because you’re always at work and goes home when the sun goes down, for the stuffs that you treat as rewards for yourself for being a great human being and a lot more.

You won’t regret anything that brings you happiness, remember that.

There are so many things to ponder regarding this matter but what’s really important here is to accept your current situation instead of looking back to the past when your parents are the ones who do all the chores and pays for everything.

It’s your turn now. Not just to buy everything you want, but also to start living your own life…on your own.

There may be too many downs on being independent but it hones you to be a more responsible and rational person.

Don’t be afraid if you have no one to turn into. You have yourself and Him.