Growing up my dad would make me stay in my room for a certain amount of time during the summer. I would head into my room with a bad attitude. While my friends were swimming and having fun, I was stuck in my room. I would listen to my walkman, doodle in my journal, and stare at my Cure music posters on the wall. Bored, bored, bored. I would count the minutes until I could leave my prison.
What I didn't realize was that I was setting myself up for cherishing alone time. I created a foundation that would afford me the ability to sit and think. I would come to like myself in ways I wouldn't have known. I appreciated the way that I thought about life. I enjoyed the silly and deep thoughts I would conjure up. I learned to like being with me. A priceless gift I would forever possess.