It's been 8 months since I fled my mother's nest. Considering my age, that may sound funny and surprising for most Western people but we Filipinos take family ties very seriously, true to our Asian and Hispanic roots.
I've always had issues with work commute so I rented a tiny studio flat very close to the workplace. I was worried that living alone would drive me nuts in a jiffy but it did the exact opposite instead. I've significantly gotten better from my anxiety, and dare I say, I find myself to be more at peace these days than the last couple of months before I moved out.
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| There is no such thing as too may pillows. |
I think it's got something to do with the other changes that went with it. My new workplace is in Quezon City, very close to the suburbs, it's gritty but more familiar - a lot more "human-y" than my previous workpace in the business district of Makati, which in the recent years I find to be too cold and corporatey.
I haven't got a TV nor an internet subscription so my time on social media has been very limited. Not that I feel I'm missing out anyway. I've gotten to a point where I really don't care about most of the stuff I see on my feed. At worst, they trigger insecurities and panic attacks. I've also gotten lazy writing posts. People generally don't give a damn about what you eat, or what you do, or your selfies, so why bother?
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| Growing herbs in a space with limited sunlight is challenging, but well worth it. |
Oddly, I also feel more personally connected with friends. We share memes and gossip on messenger. We occasionally talk on the phone, just like the old days. And if we miss each other too much, we go out, or sometimes I host little overnight dinners in my flat.
There have been discussions about how the internet age is making people more lonely. I don't want to be "that guy" whingeing about the dangers of modern tech. I love video games and I work in I.T. after all. I think the problem is more due to our lack of connection and self-awareness than social media. Living alone does get lonely sometimes, but having less distractions has made me more in touch with my soul.
