5 Things I Do Way More of Now That I’m Single
My 20's have been spent in and out of relationships with not much time in between. My last relationship lasted four+ years and when it abruptly ended last year, I was devastated and not ready for the single life at all. If you've been in a similar situation, you know what I'm talking about.
With Valentine's Day passing recently, I started to think of all the things I do now that I hardly ever or never did when in relationships. I'm probably going to steer clear of sexual-related things since you can probably guess one way or another what's involved when you're single and need to "clear house". (That sentence was probably actually worse than if the subject had just made it to the list, but let's move on.) For better or worse, here are my top 5 things I do way more of now that I'm single.
I Stay Up Late
Gaming/drinking nights never end early.
For some reason, now that I'm by myself, I always stay up way later than I should. In the time that I've been single, I think the earliest I've gone to bed is 10:30pm, though I average about 1am on weekdays and 4am on weekends. My sleeping habits will probably kill me. That is unless number two doesn't get me first.
I Drink More Alcohol
Pretty straight forward Snapchat.
I'm not even particularly very fond of drinking alcohol. In fact, in past relationships, I generally got drunk/tipsy about 4-5 times a year. As a single person, that number has become 4-5 times every two weeks or so. Now, this may make me sound like an alcoholic and I very well may be, but most of these nights I'm not getting extremely drunk. Usually, I'm just getting tipsy and using it as catalyst to be social at bars and talk to strangers.
I’m More Spontaneous
Drove to Austin randomly just to hang out, party, and protest.
This is one of my favorite things about being single. I don't have anyone to be accountable to. I can leave at anytime, stay out as long as I'd like, (as long as the cat is fed), and really do whatever I feel like doing. Making plans at the drop of a dime is fantastic. Deciding I need 7-11 French vanilla coffee at 1am and actually getting it is a beautiful thing all in itself.
I Meet Tons of New People
Me 5th wheelin’ in Deep Ellum
Relationships tend to keep me in somewhat of a box. I don't see that as a completely horrible thing nor am I anti-relationship, but meeting new people on dates and in bars is pretty great. Most meetings are just for that day or night. Passing friendships summed up by a few hours or less, but they’re exciting. Some nights are depressing. Some nights are just mediocre. Some nights are so fantastically amazing that I'll remember them for the rest of my life. (I'm thinking of you, Hollywood.)
I Get to Know Myself
It's a wonderful thing to share myself with a partner, but living by myself has been such an enriching experience that I wouldn't trade it for the world. (Well, maybe the world.) Going on walks or just sitting in weird areas of my apartment and staring off into space and meditating has opened areas of my mind I never knew existed. I can't tell you how many times I've put headphones on, listened to instrumental music, and just took a walk by myself to reflect on the day. Being by myself is a great feeling. I highly encourage everyone to do more of it.
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Those are my top 5, though in no way are they a complete catalog of the things that have changed while being a single adult, creeping ever so quickly toward that 30 year mark. I'm excited, scared, lost, happy, and a dictionary of other emotions, as I move forward. I have a lot more to discover in life and a plethora of goals, which may be easier to attain as a single adult. Here's to you, future - please, be easy on me.
