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“Hi! I’m so sorry, but I can’t go grocery shopping today anymore. I’ll tag along next time!”

A year ago, receiving a text like this would’ve sent me into a full panic. I would’ve been in a frantic scramble trying to find someone else to come with me, the thought of wandering through Wegmans alone making me want to curl up inside myself. Heaven forbid people from school saw me by myself.

A few days ago, that same text left me feeling even more excited to go pick up my groceries for the week. It’s not that I wasn’t looking forward to spending time with my friend, I would’ve loved to browse while chatting. College often warrants independence and time by yourself, and I’ve come to realize there’s no shame in doing things on your own.

Freshman year, I lived in an open double. Even when I wanted a break from socializing, there was comfort in knowing my roommate was just across the room. Sophomore year, I lived in my sorority house, which was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I made in college. There was no better feeling than knowing........

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