Wednesday, Februray 15, 2017 // The Statement 
7B

Personal Statement: Alone, Not Lonely

T

he other night, I took myself out to see “La 
La Land” at the Michigan Theater. After 
countless recommendations from friends, I 
knew I had to go. The only showing I could 

fit in my day was at 9:45 p.m. on a Monday night, so natu-
rally it was hard to find a friend willing to tag alone. I 
didn’t think twice because, frankly, I just really wanted 
to see it.

I absolutely love being around people, but sometimes I 

like to do things alone. It doesn’t bother me. When sched-
ules conflict or when I’m the only one of my friends who 
wants to try a new restaurant, I won’t hesitate to take 
myself. Other times, I need a reprieve from the social 
exhaustion that comes with having Twitter, Facebook 
and Instagram accounts.

Being in college is like having a giant sleepover with 

all of my closest friends, but instead of gossiping on air 
mattresses, we’re running around and writing papers 
while applying to jobs. It can be exhausting to have the 
same conversation 10 times a day, lamenting about my 
lack of sleep and abundance of reading assignments. My 
calendar is a quilt of colors, and, yes, sometimes I sched-
ule time to sleep.

Doing things alone alleviates the stress of planning 

and interaction. My thoughts can sort themselves out 
without the pressure of keeping up conversations.

I wasn’t always this way. Freshman year, I felt weird 

doing anything alone on campus. It seemed like every-
one was constantly hanging out with their new friends, 
and I felt pressure to always have someone by my side. It 
was exhausting, but it was the true college experience, 
right? It wasn’t until after I worked in New York City last 
summer that I realized being alone didn’t mean I was 

lonely.

Being from North Carolina, I was thrown into a place 

600 miles from home where I didn’t know a soul. I was 
living with family in New Jersey and commuting two 
hours each way to work. My job ended at 4:30 p.m., and 
the last commuter bus didn’t leave until 9 p.m. — I wasn’t 
going to let those hours go to waste. Every morning I 
stuffed my camera and sneakers in a bag and left work 
with a new destination in mind.

I took myself out to dinner in Little Italy and asked for 

a seat facing the window, so I could watch the parade of 
tourists and businessmen as they ate gelato on the side-
walk. I strolled along the Brooklyn Bridge and called 
home just to say, “Hey, I’m standing on the Brooklyn 
Bridge right now!” I went to the famous Junior’s Cheese-
cake, sat at the counter and read all of the laminated 
newspaper articles hanging on the wall. I listened to my 
favorite podcast as I walked around the lake in Central 
Park.

One day, I was wandering around Chelsea Market and 

decided to stop for what would become the best taco I 
have ever eaten. The chef seemed to pick up on this as I 
stood at the counter savoring every bite. When I looked 
up with a smiling face covered in guacamole, he gener-
ously handed over another taco on the house.

Another day after work, I bought a ticket and rode the 

elevator to the observation deck on the 102nd floor of 
One World Trade Center. The deck had glass windows 
from the floor to ceiling, and exhibits about the history 
of the city. While reading a display, I began talking to 
an employee who was standing nearby. I talked about 
my summer job and pointed to the roof of the building I 
worked in, far below where we were standing.

After some small talk, I learned we were both study-

ing computer science. He originally studied in his home 
country of France, and was now working at the observa-
tion deck while taking night classes toward an American 
degree. After we parted ways, I thought about all of the 
people I pass in the dining hall or in the hallway that 
I never connect with because I’m too distracted by the 
people I’m already with. Being on my own prompted me 
to look for interaction outside of my comfort zone and 
talk to a stranger.

All too often I see friends miss out on going to new 

places or meeting new people because they are too afraid 
to be seen alone in public. When it’s just you and your 
thoughts, it’s hard to ignore the voice in your head point-
ing out that everyone around you is with friends or fam-
ily.

Don’t get me wrong — there is value in shared expe-

riences. But what if sitting alone in a cafe eating the 
same food as the strangers around you was considered 
a shared experience? Even when you’re sitting alone in a 
movie theater, you can hear everyone around you erupt 
into laughter at the punch line, right? Or what about two 
strangers appreciating the same painting in an art muse-
um? Even a bunch of strangers standing 102 stories above 
the street below could be a shared experience.

I’m grateful for my summer in New York City because it 

taught me the difference between being lonely and being 
alone. Ann Arbor isn’t quite as big as the city, but I still love 
to take myself on walks to the Arb or Main Street. I under-
stand the initial strangeness in sitting alone in the row of 
a movie theater all by yourself, surrounded by couples and 
groups of giggling girls. But I’ve promised myself that being 
alone will never hold me back from doing what I want.

by Amelia Cacchione, Managing Photo Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS