Humans like to have company. It’s a natural fact; it’s why we do so many things together. There are times, though, when I prefer solitude to mass amounts of chit-chatting and commotion. In those times I seek solace in the places that put me most at ease.

There are tons of places I’ve been where I’ve found a certain place that let’s me escape, anywhere from libraries to ponds to playgrounds. One place I always seem to go is my room.

My house as a whole is a place I generally feel I can let go in. But my room is more personal than anywhere else I go.

It’s a space where I get to decide the layout, color scheme, and overall feeling. Everything from the music playing to the room temperature is in my control. My room is literally a place where I can look around and see myself, a place where I can plaster the walls with things other people may consider clutter.

Until recently I never really realized how comforting hiding out in my room can be. Before then I just thought of it as another place I had to keep clean. The space was more of a place to sleep than a place to escape to.

But I’ve now realized that running off to a space that is all mine is a really soothing retreat. I love how I have the power to kick my brother or anyone else out and just shut the door from anything I want to avoid or keep out.

Perhaps I’ve come to appreciate my room now that I have spent more time in it. When I was younger I had to go downstairs to use the phone, computer, or any other number of things that I now have access to in my room. With so many things nearby, I have no reason to spend more time anywhere else.

They say dogs need their own space to stay when they want to be unharmed. That’s why no one besides my dog is allowed to go inside his crate. That’s his space, and when he is in it he is not to be disturbed.

It’s almost as if humans have their own crates. Those places they designate are their own where they wish to be left alone.

Maybe the desire to escape from the outside world for a while is a need that all beings exhibit. Although the world may seem as if it was meant to be shared, perhaps there comes a point where one must to leave all of that in order to soothe one's own needs.