Home Alone

As previously mentioned, X often travels to Seattle, across the country, for work. This leaves me home alone for anywhere from 1-2 weeks at a time. It is very easy to get into a rut of going to work, coming home, watching TV all night long, and just being lonely, horny, and miserable. If your lover isn't available for long periods of time, here are some ways to make the time go by faster.

1. Clean. Cleaning is cathartic. It's a great use of energy, it's incredibly satisfying when it's done, and your lover will love coming home to a clean house. Fold some laundry. Scrub the bathroom floor. Sort your clothes and donate the ones you don't wear anymore.
2. Focus on your hobbies. I'm an avid knitter and when X is gone, I dive into my projects. I'll come home and knit for hours with no distractions and it's great. I also practice my singing without being embarrassed that someone will hear me hitting the wrong notes or singing the same three lines over and over until I get it.
3. Pick up a new activity. I started taking yoga classes twice a week while he's away. It's a great use of my time, it gets me focused on me, and it also gets me out and around other people. I also started playing with adult coloring books, which is soothing and takes up a lot of time to finish a single picture, so it's good on a couple levels.
4. Get physical. Go for a walk. Go play on a swing set. Try a bike ride. Get an exercise DVD from the library and work out in the privacy of your own home. Getting some exercise in gives your body endorphins, so you'll feel good about yourself afterwards. It's hard to be lonely when you feel good.
5. Call a loved one. My Nana can always tell when X is out of town, because I call her more often, but she's always glad to hear from me.
6. Schedule get-togethers with friends. For me, it's knitting nights. I schedule four or five friends to come over and we all knit and eat cookies and talk about yarn. It's something X wouldn't be interested in at all, that I absolutely love, perfect for when he's out of town.
7. Look at it as "me time." Are there shows you like that your partner doesn't? Watch them as much as you like while he's gone. Are there foods you like that he doesn't eat? Make all of them while he's away. Indulge yourself. Really pleasure yourself. If that means getting the breakfast cereal you like that he always eats the last bowl of, you buy a whole box and you eat the stuffing out of it. If that means menage a moi time, turn the lights down, light some candles, and let your hands and toys talk to you.
8. Schedule time (if possible) to connect with your away partner. It is very hard for X to call me when he's in Seattle because there's a three hour time difference and he's working 10 hour days. He's exhausted and by the time he finally gets home, it's time for me to go to bed. The same thing for online chatting - he's just not around or available. But what we can do is email. We'll email each other five or six times a day and that helps us feel connected while we're apart.
9. Treat yourself to something. When X goes out of town, I get pedicures. Does he care if my toes are painted or not? Not in the slightest. But it makes me feel special and pretty when he's not around to make me feel that way, so I treat myself. Maybe you go get a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Maybe you hit up Amazon and buy a new book. Maybe you get a car wash. Do something special to keep your spirits up.


And if nothing else, there's always blogging. :) He gets home tomorrow.