My boyfriend went away this week.

Instead of feeling sad and glum about this, and allowing myself to think about how he will be absent from Halloween and other pumpkin-based activities, I have decided to write about how people going away can be a good thing. Your significant other leaving you (for a little bit at least) can be a good way of remembering why you liked them in the first place.

So, in a tribute to BuzzFeed and its love of the animated gif, here are my 12 reasons why having your partner go away for a bit can be the best thing in the world.

1. You can dance around naked to the new T-Swizzle album without fear of being caught.

I would have done this anyway, but now I can dance like nobody is watching, because, ahem, no one will be watching

2. You can pee with the bathroom door open.

This is a wonderful thing. Enjoy it while you can.

3. Sans distraction you will make it to work on time all week.

You will wake up an hour late and still be the first one in the office.

4. You have an excuse to have all your girlfriends over for wine, a big meal and some intense hugging action.

Because your girlfriends are constitutionally bound to listen to you drone on about how awesome your special person is if you are feeding them.

5. You have time to catch-up with all those craft projects, books and chores you meant to get around to and which now you have time for.

That copy of Mary Beard’s Pompeii won’t read itself.

6. You will go out and catch-up with all your friends every night until your significant other comes back and will not in fact have time to do any of these things.

Because going out is so much better then sweeping the leaves off your porch.

7. You will be able to go out on a two hour run/take a long bath/listen to your newly purchased records by yourself.

And you won’t need to feel guilty that you have wasted precious time that could have been spent with your significant other BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT HERE!

8. You can pull some serious shapes to the new T Swizzle album.

I may have said that already.

9. You can chow down on all the food your significant other doesn’t like to eat.

Chocolate covered parmesan oysters here I come!

10. You can take time to re-remember how awesome your own company is.

Because you are the best.

11. You can eat ice-cream for dinner and not feel guilty that you have not provided some kind of real sustenance for your other half.

Because they are not here and you cannot be bothered to cook.

12. You can have fun on your own but also look forward to how sweet the homecoming at the end of the week will be.