“If you asked me for 10 years to imagine at this age, I would have told you that I would have a husband, children and a house in the suburbs,” says Catie, 40. “It turns out that I am very happy to live alone. Many people think about living alone like a cheater for something better, but I don’t long for anything else.” The Manhattan de Catie apartment (above) presents a gallery wall, favorite books and florid tapestry paper that did not have to convince anyone but it would look great. Then, Catie and another 11 share what it is to live alone …
Katie patterns full of patterns
When leaning in your personality:
“Getting to relax quietly at home with anyone around to witness me is a balm for my introverted soul.” – Katie, 34, has lived only for 13 years, Rural California
“Living is only a lot of fun! – Natalie, 34, has lived only for four years, Chicago
“After a devastating marriage and even more devastating divorce, the process of rebuilding me from zero was so discouraging. I didn’t know who he was or how he wanted to live in the world. When do I want to go to bed? I love incense? What do I want to see? A free weekend was scary. I got nervous to point alone. So, living in my own space, decorating, cooking and learning to be alone was very important. It is the most rigorous way I have found to understand what I really want. ” – Kaitlin, 44, has lived only for eight years,
“I love taking off my clothes on a hot day and walking through the naked house.” – Claire, 25, has lived only for 1.5 years, Chicago
In inspiration:
Katie Farm House
“I rent an 1870 farm that is outside the network and two miles from the nearest paved road; the wild animals come through the patio, day and night. What makes it very special is that it is the same home in which my mother moved when I was young before meeting my father, so he feels a bit like continuing a legacy of strong, independent and capable women who are ‘raised’ by this house.” – Katie, 34, has lived only for 13 years, Rural California
“I grew up seeing ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’, so a woman who lives alone has always felt exciting.” – Cheryl, 69, has lived only for 13 years, Little Compton, Rhode Island
“I think of the song by Diana Ross ‘It’s My House’ when I describe life alone.” – Catie, 40, has lived only for 11 years, Manhattan
About the challenges:
“Covering the rent is only difficult, especially in a big city, so I am not saving as much as I would like.” – Catie, 40, has lived only for 11 years, Manhattan,
“I used to complain that it was difficult to cook for a person. These days, I have turned to say: ‘I am good to feed.’
“I don’t like living alone when I’m sick. Being with pain only in the middle of the night are the wells.” – Clara, 37, has lived alone for four years, Zurich
Allie and Toby
About staying social:
“Living with a pet feels like having a witness while you spend your life. My dog, Toby, takes me out of the house four times a day, and my favorite thing is to spend with him on the couch at night.” – Allie, 40, has lived only for eight years, Mill Valley, California
“Living alone actually keeps me very social, since I need to make plans proactively to see people. Once or twice a week, I will invite friends to dinner, and at least once a month, an out of the city will come to stay a weekend. After my last relationship ended, I moved closer to the family. Now, my twin sister is right next and we can greet each other from our kitchens.” – Clara, 37, has lived alone for four years, Zurich
Clara lives alone … in a house right next to her sister’s
In the transition of a shared space:
“After divorcing myself, I stayed in the house where my ex -husband and I had lived for 12 years, so the transition was bittersweet. To make the house mine, I changed the art and replaced the furniture in the room. And I had the luck to find a very close community of women who make living here wonderful and coming out of here unimaginable.” – face, 41, has lived only for two years, Boulder, Colorado
“I have lived only since my husband died in 2008. At the beginning it was difficult: the lack of human interaction once I arrived at home house was felt as a huge and huge hole in my life. But now I appreciate tranquility. I have been dating a boy for years, but I don’t want to live with him or with any other person because I love my autonomy.” – Margarita, 57, has lived only for 16 years, Minneapolis
“The number 1 reason for which I live alone: I will never return home to find my roommate cutting her boyfriend’s nails on our living room couch.” – January, 45, has lived only for 23 years, Portland
About design decisions:
Sarah living room
“Eight years ago, I bought a fixing apartment. – Sarah, 38, has lived alone for eight years, Manhattan
“I simply remodel my bathroom and even if I didn’t propose to build a female pink bath, somehow, I ended with a female pink bath. I love it.” – January, 45, has lived only for 23 years, Portland
Cheryl at home
In valuable lessons:
“My husband Kenny and I live together for 30 years, and I have lived only since his death. My home is where we create our children. But the regular maintenance of a house is endless. I liked making those decisions as a team, but I have become incredibly sure to handle it on my own. I have also found people in whom I trust to work.” – Cheryl, 69, has lived only for 13 years, Little Compton, Rhode Island
“Every time someone asks me, ‘How do you know how to do that?’ I always laugh and say: ‘Who else is going to do it?’ Recently I had to change the shower handle, and thanks to the power of Google and the test and error, I did it and felt like a rude. ” – Catie, 40, has lived only for 11 years, Manhattan
“The house where I lived after college was a cabin the size of a shoe box in the forest. The first night, a mouse up of the sleeping loft, looked into my eyes and practically dared to do something about it. The next day, I supplied myself in the mice traps, and I also learned how sand and refined the slopes while living there. their lives in their lives! ” – Katie, 34, has lived only for 13 years, Rural California
Do you live alone or do you have in the past? What were the pros/cons?
PS 12 readers share their solo travel photos and a vintage lover share their solo dream house.
(Photos provided by the subjects of the interview, except for the portrait of Cheryl, which was taken by Sarah Petlarca).
