22.

I’ve been living alone for five months now, and I learned these things:

The heater requires the pilot light to be on all the time to operate. I mean, what. I couldn’t get over the fact that there is an open flame just burning in the room. If the light goes out, you have to strike a match, open up the gas valve, and stick in the lit match into the stream of hissing gas.

Traffic at night on the 101 offramp sounds a lot like waves at Ocean Beach. Well, not so much the honking. I grew up living close to the ocean and would sometimes leave my window open a crack to hear the water when I sleep. I’m now as far from the ocean as I can get in the city and this is an unexpected comfort.

Coasters are crucial!

Oatmeal is a really fast breakfast. I get the rolled kind that comes in flakes. I put some in water, and it’s ready by the time the water boils.

Living alone does not mean being alone.