Grant it, I have a boyfriend but for all intensive purposes I am considered single and I have definitely not settled down. Here's a couple things I can cross off the list:
1. Go to a movie alone.
2. Lift weights.
5. Live alone, or at least move apartments in NYC without the help of family
9. Fly to a foreign country by yourself (Lived there too)
18. Chill with your widowed and single grandma. She knows "alone"!
20. Do at least one Valentine's Day alone. (That'd be more than one for me)
26. Buy something frivolous and expensive that you LOVE wearing.
30. Learn to cook well. I'm still working on this.
What have you done? What would you like to get done before you "settle down"?
In reference to number 1 and 9, when I first moved to Australia, I moved to Adelaide and I was all by myself. I didn't know a single person on this entire continent, I think maybe not even the entire southern hemisphere. I got to Adelaide on a Saturday night and I use to live on Hindley Street, which is like a somewhat calmer Bourbon Street.
The street was packed with people out for a Saturday night and so after I got out of the cab, all I heard was catcalls. And I was just thinking "what in the world have I gotten myself into?!" After quite an ordeal, I finally made it into my apartment. I was kinda freaked out and jet lagged so I went to bed almost right away. I woke up pretty early the next day and decided to try and find somewhere to eat. Sooo I wandered down Rundle Mall:
Pffft, it was a Sunday morning in Australia sooo pretty much nothing was open. So I had breakfast at Subway...cool? Anyhoos, I wandered around and finally things started to open. I went into the grocery store and spent ages filling up my buggy. I checked out and then it hit me "holy crap, how am I going to carry all these bags home?" I mean I had TONS. Then, I couldn't remember which direction I came from. Well I started by going left (whoops, I lived to the right) and walked quite a ways with my arms DYING from the weight of the bags. People were laughing at me, seriously. I finally realized I was going the wrong way and turned around and painfully made it back to the grocery store and asked them to store my bags while I went and got something to put them in. They said they usually don't do that but I think they felt bad for the stupid American girl. I hustled all the way back to my apartment and got my bright yellow monogrammed LLBean duffle. Yea, that doesn't make me stand out at all. I went back to the store and loaded my bags and made it home. Honestly, that was seriously a very embarrassing moment. Strangers were laughing at me left and right because I couldn't carry all my heavy bags. I looked so stupid.
Well I was alone for the next 2 weeks or so, not really knowing anyone. I even went to a movie all alone because I stumbled across a theater one night when I went walking because I was bored.
I think I'll always remember how alone I felt when I saw this movie. However, I stuck it out and in the end ,not only did I meet some of the most amazing people from all over the world, but I also met the love of my life, my Aussie man.
This was my Thanksgiving in Australia in 2009. Such an amazing one. 3 American friends and I made a huge feast and we ended up having something like 14 countries represented at the dinner. Absolutely wonderful!
Being on your own somewhere very far from home is a very scary thought and even scarier to do, but I did it and it was worth the huge and scary risk! By sticking yourself out there, you learn so much about yourself and grow so much!
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