You're in that awkward stage in your life where half your friends are still getting drunk on a Monday night while the other half are blowing up your timeline with ring pics, proposal videos, and wedding details. So what's a girl to do when you're out of the party stage, but not in the marriage stage? Here are some ideas to get you started!
1) Go on a solo adventure.
Take a day trip (or longer) somewhere and explore. Disconnect from the ring pics and drunk photos on your timeline and go for a hike, walk around Central Park, road trip somewhere new. The possibilities are endless if you have a means of transportation (which we all do or can find) and some time to disconnect from your busy life. Exploring awakens something in you that you can't get from happy hour or a shiny ring.
2) Take yourself on a date.
Whether you're in a relationship or not, it's healthy to do things by yourself once in a while. Treat yourself and get your nails done, a new outfit or some new shoes, and take yourself out to your favorite restaurant. Or shake things up and eat somewhere you've never eaten before. Time alone helps you clear your head of all the distractions in your life and keeps you in touch with yourself.
3) Go on a vacation.
This couples with item 1 but sometimes, going on a vacation is just what you need. Head somewhere without wifi in every building, meet new people, try new things, and then post all of your cool pictures online to rival your friends drunk shenanigans and engagement rings.
4). Take up a new hobby.
My personal favorite hobby is reading. I challenged myself to read 100 books in a year (which won't happen, but there's always next year!) and some pretty great reads have stumbled into my lap. Like The Scarlet Letter, which I recently re-read. Find something that interests you, like singing or creating something, and go with it. When you're 40 and your spouse is bugging you, you'll be glad to have your own hobby.
5) Read a book (or 20).
Reading books opens your mind to things you may have never thought about before. Curl up with a good book and nice glass of wine to end any long day or working or going to school. It's a proven fact that reading makes you smarter, so when you do decide to settle down, you'll be smarter than your spouse and that's pretty cool.
6) Complete a bucket list or dream board.
Dream boards are totally a thing, that I didn't know about until a month or so ago. The point of a dream board is to give yourself some things you want to achieve in a certain amount of time. For example, maybe you want to go on a vacation at the end of the year or score a new job in your field. Put it on your dream board and work towards your goal everyday. Or create a "bucket list" like "10 things to do before I'm 30". You'll have fun checking off your accomplishments and experiences.
7) Learn to cook.
Don't learn to cook for your family one day, learn to cook for yourself. Cooking is fun, healthy, and cheaper than going out to eat every night. By cooking for yourself, you ensure your independent survival, create a new skill that you can use wherever your life takes you, and make some leftovers for those nights when you don't want to cook.
8) Save money.
Work on saving money for something that you really want or need. Maybe you have your eye on a new handbag or want to move out on your own. These are goals that cost money, so come up with a saving plan now, that way you can be on your own, or stuffing change into that new handbag quicker!
9) Become a blogger.
While your life may not be interesting to other people, blogging is extremely beneficial. Not only do you get your thoughts and opinions out there, but other people can read them too. You can't always rely on your boyfriend to listen to every detail of your life, but somewhere out there, is someone looking for your drama to help them escape theirs...and who knows? Maybe you'll really like writing!
10) Live for yourself and have fun!
This is the most important part. While your friends are getting married, having kids, etc. they are learning to live for other people. Two become one in a marriage, parents live for their children. Take this time to live for yourself, do the things you want to do, and worry about the rest later on. Have some fun while you still can (not saying that you can't have fun when you're married, but you get the point!)
Now quit reading this article and go do something fun!
