Date yourself!
Sometimes you just need to spend some QT with yourself, and I don’t mean a day at home in your pj’s, sometimes you have to get out there and explore the world and have some experiences on your own. A lot of people are embarrassed to do things alone, but not getting over that can hold you back from being the most YOU you can be. While the internet can help you find a community with similar interests, we are not all blessed with a perfect friend or significant other in real life who is interested in seeing all the things we want to see, or experiencing all the things we want to experience. Do not let this hold you back. Get out there and experience on your own. Some things are better enjoyed alone anyway!
This past Saturday I decided to take myself out for a day filled with my favorite things. I woke up and had breakfast, then headed into the city. It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day, so I decided to take a little walk and headed off for my first indulgence: a latte. A latte might seem like something that’s easy to enjoy with other people, but this, for me, is a great reason to take yourself on a date, you can indulge in all the quirky little things you enjoy that others might not understand. I LOVE scooping the foam off of a latte with my finger and then licking the foam off my finger. I get that lots of people might find it gross, but it’s a simple act that brings me a few moments of pure joy, so the minute I was out of the coffee shop I peeled the top off my latte and walked slowly through the sun toward The Fens dipping my finger in that perfect latte and licking away. Reason one to enjoy a little alone time; you get a chance to indulge in your quirky preferences judgement free.
My next treat was just walking through Back Bay Fens and enjoying the weather. If you’re unfamiliar with Boston we have an amazing city park system called the Emerald Necklace designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Back Bay Fens is probably one of the most under-appreciated parks the system, but it has some really cool things to discover tucked inside its perimeter. As I was walking and enjoying the sunshine I came upon some sports fields and found people playing quiddich! I didn’t realize people did that in real life so I sat down on one of the bleachers, soaked up the sun as I sipped my latte, and was introduced to a totally new sport. Reason two to explore on your own, you never know what you’ll find, and when you’re not engrossed in conversation with someone else, you’re more likely to just stop and notice what interesting things might be going on around you.
Next, it was on the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. If you have never been you absolutely must explore this museum. Its namesake Isabella Stewart Gardner created the museum, a famous patron of the arts who actually built her own museum to display her personal collection. She was not a professional museum curator, so the collection itself is truly unique, and displayed in a very interesting and accessible way. Every room feels more like a room in an eccentric family member’s house than a room in a traditional museum, but it’s uniqueness makes it endlessly fascinating. You could visit the same room 20 times and still find some new little detail every time. The museum also has a central courtyard filled with sculptures, beautiful plants, and water features. It’s one of my favorite parts of the museum. Isabella, as a person, is also an incredibly inspiring woman and one of my role models. I enjoy visiting the museum with other people as well, but sometimes, especially when taking in art, it’s really important to experience on your own so you can explore at your own pace and be alone with your thoughts and feelings as you take in the beauty around you. Reason three to take yourself out; some experiences enjoyed with others can take on their own meaning or bring you enjoyment on another level when you do them alone.
Each Saturday the Gardener has an art project for visitors to create, I made this awesome pop-up card on my visit.
After the museum, I headed home and decided to make myself a huge bowl of popcorn and watch a documentary; The Legend of Leigh Bowery. Leigh was an artist who created clothes and costumes, but really, at the end of the day, he simply saw life as a work of art. He has inspired generations of club kids and drag queens with his incredible imagination. I was really inspired by his creativity and willingness to push the boundaries of what was possible in clothing, art, and life. Reason four to spend some quality time with yourself is that sometimes it can be hard to find someone who is truly interested in all the same things you are. Never let that hold you back, find time to experience those things on your own instead of just leaving them out of your life. Even if you do have a partner in crime for your more avant-garde interests, they might not always be around to indulge you, so go ahead and don’t be afraid to indulge yourself.
