Yesterday evening I had the double bliss of my housemate (who makes me feel so uncomfortable) being out, away for an overnight trip, and one of my best friends here in Colorado coming to visit me.
For several years I had the fortune to live with good friends, i.e. to have some of my closest and dearest friends as housemates, and I miss that. A good alternative or substitute for actually living with good friends has often been visiting with friends for shared meals or even for longer stays. The fact that I cannot have that while my housemate is around is yet another source of distress for me here — and thus, on the other hand, a great source of joy when I can have a friend visit when my housemate is away.
Yesterday evening was particularly nice: first of all because this friend and I hadn’t been able to see each other in person for over a month; and additionally also because there wasn’t a “time-limit” or a “curfew” based on the return of my housemate since she’s away overnight. So my friend came over in the early evening and we cooked together and sat comfortably on the couches to have a relaxed dinner, talking and talking and talking; then we had dessert, and talked some more; then we cleaned up in the kitchen, talking some more, until past ten thirty. We were able to spend five hours together and to actually do it in “my house”, which is something I really enjoy doing.
So I realize that the current living situation I have with this housemate, although seemingly very good “on paper”, is not the best type of living situation for me — it’s actually quite stressful and detrimental for me and will require change.
The Little Prince and the Fox 