Disney cursed me. Their entire princess franchise bibbity-bobbity booed the f*ck out of my ability to have a love life. I grew up thinking that I’d meet my husband by age 16 and that my first kiss was going to be magical. Even the mouse set me up for emotional failure.
Imagine my surprise when my adolescence passed me by and I was left alone, feeling betrayed by my expectations. Worse yet, I felt as though it had to be my fault that I hadn’t found epic love yet. Obviously, there was something wrong with me because everyone else seemed to be finding a partner.
I thought that being 17 and having never been kissed was something to be embarrassed about. In reality, about a third of my friends were actively dating and as far as I know, none of those relationships turned into everlasting love. Between Disney romances, Stephenie Meyers, and Nicholas Sparks, we’ve all been hoodwinked into this idea of the perfect youthful romance and how we’re incomplete without it in our lives. Does third-wheeling suck? Hell yeah, it does. Do I hate ignoring the ‘plus one’ box on a wedding invitation? Umm, yes.
But, I refuse to let it get me down. If you are single in your 20s, own it. When you start feeling lonely, here are some things you can do to boost your morale:
Take yourself on dates. Does it look like I have time to wait for a man who’s willing to take me to see a movie? Do you really think I’m not going to that restaurant opening because I don’t have a boyfriend? Treat yo’ self. You may be alone. You may be out with friends. Either way, make sure you have a damn good time. And if some pre-teens snicker at you because you’re solo at the movie theater, kick your feet up and bask in the fact that you don’t need to share your bucket of popcorn.
Drink. Many women come home from a long day at work and whine to their partners. Me? Being the single stud that I am, I don’t whine. I drink wine instead. It’s as satisfying as a drawn-out rant. If I’m really having a bad day, that’s what my big wine glass and emoji convos with my bestie are for.
Do your makeup. There are days when I am not feeling myself at all. So I take the time to put on foundation, eyeliner, mascara and eyeshadow. If it’s a really bad day, I’ll put on some blush. Sometimes, a girl just needs to feel pretty. If a made-up face helps boost your ego, then do it.
Wear a pretty outfit. Every girl has that one outfit. The outfit that makes her curves look bangin’ and she feels fly as a mofo in it. When you’re feeling down in the dumps, then rock an outfit that makes you feel special. Ain’t no shame in wanting to feel sexy.
Watch movies with a lot of explosions. It can be annoying to be the only single person in your friendship group. It’s okay to feel upset about it. Go to the gym. Blast some angry girl rock. Watch movies where stuff gets blown up. You’re going to have those days when stomping around the house and being mad at the world is your only solution.
Facebook stalk…for ten minutes MAX. Set that hard time limit. If you allow yourself to focus too much on other people’s “perfect” lives, it makes you even more miserable. Keep your head up and scroll past those pesky life events.
We come into this world alone, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to spend the rest of your life that way. Until you find that amazing, all-consuming love that you’re looking for, enjoy being on your own. You don’t answer to anyone. You have incredible friends to spend time with. There’s so much of the world to see and so many things to do that you should never be bored.
More than likely, you’ll meet your epic love alongside one of your adventures. So when you’re feeling lonely, know that it’s okay to be down about it sometimes, but don’t let it overwhelm all the wonderful things that you do have right now.
Featured image via cottonbro on Pexels
