Alone, But Not Lonely!

It was late December that found me in Belgrade, Serbia. Christmas was approaching. This was the last year of my assignment there, and to be honest, I could not wait to leave. Although I learned a lot, post -war Serbia was not exactly the fun place to be. In my youth I was a social bee and I liked to party. I had many friends and countless invitations. That Christmas though, I did not feel like celebrating. Christmas day went by and the New Year’s Eve arrived. I did not go anywhere. I needed a time for myself. I needed to think about my life, my dreams, my future. I was alone for days. That, for me, was some strange, new feeling as I always wanted to have my calendar full. I was afraid of loneliness and kept myself busy at any cost. Suddenly, I realized that I was perfectly content sitting there alone. Loneliness had nothing to do with that, as one can be alone but not lonely! At that moment, almost overwhelmed by my sudden realization, I instantly felt happy!