Enjoying your own company is easier said than done. Learning to enjoy comfortable silence might come off as intimidating. But it’s a feeling that you will be happy you matured into one day.

When I was 10 years old, I moved from Plymouth, Minn. to Irving, leaving behind quite literally everything I had known. Something I didn’t want to leave behind was my friends.

The promise to reach out and stay best friends no matter what fell short just a few weeks after I moved. Saying I was upset was an understatement.

The next few friends I made were cut off by me. I felt that a “real” friendship meant that they would have to be with me 24/7, in person or not.

The more texts I sent in hopes of being contacted, the less likely it was for them to contact me first outside of school.

The more I grew up, the more I realized there is a huge difference between school friends and some of my closest friends today.

When high school finally started, the less I found myself to be available. Some days I felt that I was far too exhausted to even check my phone, let alone talk to people.

The more I spent time on my own, the more I realized I definitely needed at least two hours to fully recharge my social battery and honestly reflect about my day. I found a love for poetry as well as drawing comics, some of my old drafts now being a huge part of who I am.

Discovering new music, attempting to learn guitar, making bracelets and creating characters from clay. These were some of the talents I had forgotten I loved.

To say that I’m thankful for a feeling that can bring sadness to some may come off as strange. But for me, I’m beyond thankful. I learned that it’s OK to take time for yourself to grow and reconnect, as you never know when you need that peace most.

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