Erin Meanley, a dating blogger at Glamour, created a list of “key experiences every singleton should savor before they couple up.” List is below. I’ve checked off stuff I’ve already done and there’s still lots to tick off; looking forward to doing it all — whether single or dating.
To Build Your Confidence…
1. Go to a movie alone.
2. Lift weights.
3. Try surfing, water-skiing, or some activity you don’t already know how to do. Could be riding a bicycle. [I'd love to go surfing. Already tackled hiking, skiing, playing pick up soccer and successfully completing adult swim classes.]
4. Take out the trash, set a mousetrap, do your taxes, build a bookcase.
5. Live alone, or at least move apartments in NYC without the help of family.
6. Train for (and finish) a huge physical test like a half-marathon.
7. Go to a scary doctor’s appointment by yourself.
8. Quit your job.
9. Fly to a foreign country by yourself.
10. Learn to stand up for yourself.
To Be Able to Look Back and Say “I Had Fun”…
11. Witness something once-in-a-lifetime, like Jokulsarlon, a lake next to a melting glacier in Iceland.
12. Revel in being able to watch all the reality TV you want.
13. Get drunk during the day, just because you can. Attend Santacon, the convention for Santas, or something similar. [Living in Europe and/or being a soccer fan also granted the freedom to do this.]
14. Go on a date with someone who actually makes you nervous.
15. Go out with an older man who takes you somewhere nice and makes you feel like a million bucks. [I used to date younger men, but I'm thinking of going older.]
16. Go out with a guy who makes you laugh ‘til it hurts.
To Get Perspective…
17. Be a good wingwoman. It’s not always about you.
18. Chill with your widowed and single grandma. She knows “alone”!
19. Volunteer.
To Make You Appreciate the Next Guy…
20. Do at least one Valentine’s Day alone. [Oh, I was supposed to do only ONE??? ;)]
21. Attend a wedding (or 15) alone.
22. Date the creeps. You’ll really value the nice guys afterward.
To Make You Feel Sexy and Attractive…
23. Buy yourself some flowers.
24. Invest in a LBD (little black dress) and some sexy stilettos.
25. Sit at a bar by yourself and drink a martini.
26. Buy something frivolous and expensive that you LOVE wearing.
To Make the Most of Your Free Time…
27. Finish all your schooling if you can.
28. Throw yourself into something time-consuming, like learning a foreign language.
To Make Yourself a Better Partner in the Future…
29. Make a list of all your faults. [Probably a good idea to do this.]
30. Learn to cook well.
31. Get some hobbies. [Film, art, soccer, travel, politics, etc.]
32. Let your married friends edit your online dating profile.
33. Get your finances in order.
To Appreciate Being Single…
34. Babysit someone’s baby for an hour.
35. Help a friend through her divorce or a bad break-up.
36. Host a girls-only night. I think some coupled-up women forget how much we need each other.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
This is such a great list. I love lists. So there is a definite possbility that I’ll be tackling this one as well. Looks like you’ve knocked off a considerable chunk. Is there anything else you’d add to the list yourself?
Great question! I used to keep lists like this every couple of years. Like: “Before I’m 25 I want to do …” or whatever. Haven’t done one in a while. When I make the new one, I’ll post it publicly :)
So you’re almost done. When you finish the list do have to immediately get married afterwards?
The way it’s written, one might think that :) I’m not very marriage minded, so I really think it’s a great list regardless if you’re single.
You are truly amazing. Maybe i shouldn’t be surprised as i’ve become a recluse, but you have done more at your young age than i have in my whole life, and i’m probably almost three times your age…. and i was only referring to the stuff on the list. The other things you’ve done and blogged about are amazing too. Love that photo of you at the lectern and that video of you at the lectern on YouTube.
THANK YOU!
This is a great list. My list is simple.
Before I settle down and get married, I want to send my son off to a good college, and that’s 8 years away. LOL
That’s a BEAUTIFUL goal!!! I love it.
Done most if not all of these, and yes… it’s so important to learn how to do all of these.
Yeah, a lot of it’s “life” stuff — things any adult should try to do on their own at least once.
hey baba…I was thinking the same thing you were. I have just about completed that list save one or two things so I guess my single time is drawing to a close.
They say it always happens when you least expect it. So, who knows … maybe someone’s creeping up on you and you don’t even know it yet?
You left off “Pull a train”
That is okay. I got it. Done and Done. Choooo choooo.
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