So many questions....

From the time I turned 18 and went away from college, the amount of time I spent living with the parents went down sharply - I spent the summers before my sophomore and junior year there, but I worked and at one point took night classes, so I didn't see much of them. A few months after graduation, I ended up having to move back in with them - but a few months later, I got wind of an opportunity back in Baltimore, working for my old college. I picked up, moved out, and haven't been back since.

Well, that's not completely true. I'm back several times a year to visit for holidays - including right now for Easter.

For the past almost 3 years, I've been completely on my own - own house, no roomates/housemates. I'm chronically single. About the only living thing I have contact with from when I get home to when I leave for work is my cat, and as long as she's got food and occasionally a lap to curl up in, she doesn't really care what I do.

Which makes it kind of weird and annoying to be at the parents, because they do care what I do. I'm chronically being asked questions - when are you getting up? what do you want to eat? what time are you going to bed? are you going anywhere? I'm not used to having to plan things in advance, or answer to anyone. I've been answering most questions with a noncommittal grunt, which probably doesn't help things.

I understand the need to know schedules and the like when you have an extra person temporarily in the household, and I'm probably letting it get to me too much. But after being on your own for a while, you forget the advantages of not having to answer to anyone else, not having to plan the next 3 days worth of meals, wake-up times, and bedtimes in advance.

Of course, this may be part of why I'm chronically single. And if I ever did find someone, would I be willing to answer her questions?