On Your Own

[Taco-Calamitous]

So what was the first time you were ever away from home on your own-no family, no friends-for a significant amount of time? How was the experience for you? Or if you've never experienced this, do you plan to, and how do you think you would do?

My first time away from home, on my own, was when I worked to Yellowstone in 2005 for two months. Getting on the bus was really hard, but the second night, spent in a hotel, I really I realized that I was all alone in some random place I'd never been before, and that was an incredibly lonely feeling. Had to call my mom twice, heh. Told her I was okay the first time, then called her back and was like, "No, I'm not okay!! "

Then that Summer, I met some really cool people, went on a few cool hikes, had some fun experiences... and also hated the damned job, which was scooping icecream. It was pretty much my first real job, so... but it was fuckin' busy all the time-like, a constant stream of people coming in for several hours at a time. I even dreamed one night that I wa serving someone icecream from my bed. Also, it was the first time I lived with other people my age... and they were all wild and crazy, and got fired for drinking underage and doing other stupid shit. This one kid came back, got chased down by security, and run into a wall. Another kid wrote on the wall with his own blood.

And... I was really homesick almost the entire time. Didn't have a cell phone, and the only phone available to us was a pay phone, so I had a phone card I had to use sparingly, or else it'd run out of minutes. It started to get better, but then I got a sore throat that didn't go away for like six months, and my throat's always been kinda f'ed up ever since.

But... it was a good experience for me, I think. Showed me what it was like to be on my own, and that I was actually somewhat capable of taking care of myself and holding a job. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[Unknown Entity]

There was this one time when I was about six years old I woke up because I smelt smoke, as if there was a fire raging in the house. There was a little smoke coming in through a window, but that was enough to frighten me at that age. I looked out my bedroom window to see a bunch of people running around and directing fire trucks down the road towards the market, and screaming and yelling, etc. So I was really freaking panicked.

That evening mum had gone out with a few friends for a work thing, and I wouldn't see her until I woke up. However, my grandmother was babysitting. Or supposed to be babysitting - I was in tears running around the flat to find her, and she wasn't there.

Turns out, she saw the smoke coming up behind the rooftops when she was doing the dishes, and thought the end of the world was coming. So she left the house to go and find my mother, leaving me and my brother home alone. Lovely. Now, that might not count as being alone, but he was fast asleep and I didn't think to wake him. =(

There was also this one time I was waiting for some friends outside a bingo hall the edge of a red light district... that was pretty scary. They turned up about an hour and a half later, after me getting many phone calls and text messages saying they were on their way.

I've been home alone/alone in public a good number of times when other scary shit has happened, but I don't think I've ever been properly alone. If anything, I do like being alone...

[Josh_R]

My first time away from home was a little after my 15th birthday. A group of my upper class men were going on a trip to TN. I was friends with all of them so I decided to go. It was a great experience. It was the first time I was ever hammered. We all got f*cked up and passed out at a little shitty motel. Good time, good times indeed

[Rocky]

My first time being gone over a significant time was when I was like 10 years old, I went to church camp for about a week over the summer. It was really fun and I didn't get homesick or anything, lol so that was good. I think my mom was way more worried over me being gone then I was being away, but it's all good haha.

I love to travel and have been away from my home/family/friends all the time, I never really miss it while I'm gone but when I get back I appreciate it, if that makes any sense.

[Dodie16]

For a long time, I've never really traveled anywhere without a family member or a friend tagging along, so the first time I was really "out on my own" was when I worked as a page in the Capitol Building in OKC. I was fifteen ( or maybe sixteen?), and it was just a week-long thing that I was given the opportunity to do. I did it, since it would look good for college and stuff.

Gawd... That was the most boring job I think I've ever done. Most of the time, I was just waiting in the designated area until someone needed some papers, or some coffee, or something written down. There were like 50 or so other kids that were doing the same job as me, and we all took turns doing whatever needed to be done.

To be honest, it was kind of weird at first being around no one I knew, but then it got better. I did miss my family and friends though, and I was really happy when it was all over and I could go back home.

[Tiffany]

I went to summer camp so I was always used to being away from home with no family members.

It was hard the first time, mainly cuz I'm terrified of spiders and there were a few of them on the ceiling. Eeek! But after that it was all good. I never wanted to come home!

[Taco-Calamitous]

Heh, I wish I'd gone to Summer Camp or something as a kid. Don't think we had the money for something like that growing up, though; think we were always on either lower end of middle class or the higher end of lower class. There was even this thing with my Grade School where the Fifth Graders would go out to some camp for a few days every year... and by the time I was in Fifth Grade, they'd reduced it to one day

Does anyone have any stories of being far away from home for like a month's time or more, though? Like you guys in the military? (Boot camp would obviously be the first experience. My friend who was in the military tells me that pretty much don't expect to be prepared, because you won't be.) Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[SOLDIER #819]

I remember going to summer camp in elementary too. My mom over packed so I had to lug 2 huge cases up a steep hill to the cabin. Or maybe it was multiple steep hills that went up and down. Whatever. Most of the people in my group were those I only vaguely knew, I don't remember really talking to anyone... or much of the trip in general. It seemed okay... the same sort of okay you feel when you reminisce while maintaining a good level of detachment. There's probably more to it than just that though.

One thing I do remember is that they had us write diaries. I thought to myself, "Everyone is going to write how much they love it, so maybe I should do something else," and proceeded to complain about how homesick I was. Though honestly I slept with few problems and had good times. Like chewing wintergreen mints that sparkled in your mouth in the dead of night for some reason. I just hated how they prohibited morning showers (so we wouldn't catch colds, I think?). I wanted to wet my hair so that it wouldn't be jumping every which way. One guy let me sneak over to the sink and let me wet it. He was cool. Other guy was also cool, but did not allow for water-to-scalp contact.

I have no idea what I'm going about anymore. Time away from family/friends? Almost always fun. I tend to sleep well when it's in an unfamiliar place, so long as it's comfortable. A nice hotel is the best! It's like your own little haven, and for ~$125 it should be. It'd be so nice to do that right. Just drop everything and disappear somewhere!

[winterborn86]

My first time away from home was when I was about 16 and it was when I ran away from home, only for 3 days tho, I needed clean clothes lol, probably one of the worst run away attempt I made.
I moved out of home at 17 tho, so I guess my major "away from home" thing was that.

[Taco-Calamitous]

So am I the only one who has had a hard time leaving home? All of you say you enjoyed it. Am I some kind of momma's boy, then? Or is it just that my first trip away from home alone was a bit more extreme of a case, being longer, farther away, and my being significantly older by the time it happened (or would that last one be more likely to help the situation)? ...no, I'm probably just a momma's boy Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[GypsyElder]

This topic is making me slightly depressed. I don't think I've ever been on my own anywhere, without family or friends.

The closest I will come to it, as of now will be some time this year. I'm going to fly to the Philippines by myself to visit family. So basically only the fly there counts

[SOLDIER #819]

So am I the only one who has had a hard time leaving home? All of you say you enjoyed it. Am I some kind of momma's boy, then? Or is it just that my first trip away from home alone was a bit more extreme of a case, being longer, farther away, and my being significantly older by the time it happened (or would that last one be more likely to help the situation)? ...no, I'm probably just a momma's boy Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

I think you end up getting lonely in the long run, regardless of where you are. If you're on a vacation or something you're just too busy to think about it. Now, if you're in the middle of nowhere and have a slow day job...

[Chez Daja]

Back when I lived in London, I'd always go on long walks alone or go on the tube for long amounts of time but I guess I haven't really been alone for too long. I've stayed by myself for extended amounts of time when my family have gone away but that's about it.

When I first moved out, I felt kind of lonely -- my dad and my brother and sister all being so far away was exciting but very strange. I'd lived in London my whole life, the big, bustling city with lights and people... only to move away to the countryside, where there's nothing reminiscent of that life. For a long time, I sat at home in my room a lot and felt depressed, lonely and isolated.

But it's great now. I live with my boyfriend and I've met loads of great people and I like it more now. In some way, I still miss the city; I think I was born to live in the city so I'll probably end up moving back with Jordan in the future, but for now, I love the countryside too.

[Bleachfangirl]

I guess the only thing I've ever done without ANY friends or family while away from home would have been going to a science camp thing when I was about eleven. I got on a bus and stayed in a cabin of seven other girls I didn't know for four days and three nights. It wasn't that bad. Extremely cold maybe, since it was in the middle of winter and we were up in the mountains just below where there was snow, but that's it. I got to dissect an owl pellet and eat a raw acorn. Nothing exciting at all.

There was another time I got to experience no-parent time, but it was at home. Does that count? I was home alone for five days and had a ball on my own. Again, nothing really happened. Mommy left for a trip thing and I stayed at home to go to school and do homework. I didn't feel all that lonely during the day...just at night when my house would make creepy noises. ._. Goddamn ice maker.

[winterborn86]

So am I the only one who has had a hard time leaving home? All of you say you enjoyed it.

I only enjoyed moving away from home, because me and my parents were always at each others throats, non stop fighting, but now I find that I get along with them tons better and I have more respect for them than I used too, so moving away was a good thing for me. I don't miss living at home because of how it used to be.