Jess Being Alone.
The idea started one Friday night as a joke - ironically when I was with some of my nearest and dearest. I was most definitely not alone and we were walking around the mall,when I started noticing things that just screamed 'single and alone'. A candle that's called 'Loveless' at a cosmetics store, a tea set for one person. Yup, just one little cup stacked together with a tiny teapot. Serves 1. A Bukowski book about being alone. It seems as though the world was trying to tell me something.
So I thought why not just go with it? Lean into it. Into the alone (hands up if you sung this in your heard to the tune of Frozen 2's "Into The Unknown"!). Into the funny little points that the world seems so keen on getting across to me. For the record, I don't truly believe I am 'alone' in that lonely sense most of the time. I have a great family and friends who are genuinely there for me. And I do enjoy being alone! I've spent most of my adult life checking into hotel staycations by myself, dining alone, watching movies solo. I love it.
I already do the things that typically we expect others to do anyway.
Like get the prettiest cards and write little letters to myself (the J'adore one is from Father Rabbit from The Market and is so wonderful). I even bought the aforementioned Loveless candle and lit it on Valentine's Day. I like cooking a big batch of pasta for one (recipe for this Aglio Olio: minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, spaghetti. In low heat, infuse olive oil with garlic while your spaghetti cooks in boiling water. Drain pasta, add to skillet with olive oil and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste. So cheap, so easy. It's what I bring to work the week before pay week... also I don't tend to measure ingredients because garlic is a way of life and who am I to put restrictions on how much you should use?! P.S. this plate is another good find from The Market - kindly gifted to me. I want to collect this whole set).
I do feel like I've only ever pushed myself to do a typically 'social' activity on my own. Back in 2018 I went to a concert by myself for a story I was writing and I had a hell of a lot of fun and met some cool people that night that I still keep in touch with! But there are things I've also been curious to experience but never had the guts to like karaoke by myself. Kinda tragic, but could be quite fun. Belting out sad songs at the top of my lungs and maybe shedding a tear or two? Could be therapeutic (I know, I know, Miss Drama Queen strikes again. This was fresh heartbreak times, friends. Sorry!). So I started making a list of these things. A solo bucketlist, if you may. It was triggered by a karaoke place I walked passed recently. It seemed like such a fun, random thing to do on a Friday night. But none of my friends seemed keen.
So Jess Being Alone is just me keeping a record of these experiences, sharing how I feel when I do the thing, maybe the learnings after. To be honest I don't know what kind of format to even do this in - maybe IGTV vlogs? Youtube? Just a blog post? I don't even know how often I'm planning to do this. Once a month? A new experience every payday? Time will tell.
What I do want to share, though, is my list so far. Jess Being Alone 2020:
- Karaoke
- Go dancing on my own (I'm!!!In!!!The!!!Corner!!!Watching!!!You!!!Kiss!!Her!!OOOOOHH!!I'm!!! Right!!!Over!!!Here!!!Why!!!Can't!!!You!!!See!!Me!!!!OOOOHHHH!!!)
- Solo holiday somewhere new
- Amusement park trip
- Fine dining (I'm thinking of giving in and just booking Pasture)
- Silent retreat (Kinda like Fleabag)
So far so good. I'm open to ideas so please do slide into my DMs if you've got any!
Jess Being Alone.
The idea started one Friday night as a joke - ironically when I was with some of my nearest and dearest. I was most definitely not alone and we were walking around the mall,when I started noticing things that just screamed 'single and alone'. A candle that's called 'Loveless' at a cosmetics store, a tea set for one person. Yup, just one little cup stacked together with a tiny teapot. Serves 1. A Bukowski book about being alone. It seems as though the world was trying to tell me something.
So I thought why not just go with it? Lean into it. Into the alone (hands up if you sung this in your heard to the tune of Frozen 2's "Into The Unknown"!). Into the funny little points that the world seems so keen on getting across to me. For the record, I don't truly believe I am 'alone' in that lonely sense most of the time. I have a great family and friends who are genuinely there for me. And I do enjoy being alone! I've spent most of my adult life checking into hotel staycations by myself, dining alone, watching movies solo. I love it.
I already do the things that typically we expect others to do anyway.
Like get the prettiest cards and write little letters to myself (the J'adore one is from Father Rabbit from The Market and is so wonderful). I even bought the aforementioned Loveless candle and lit it on Valentine's Day. I like cooking a big batch of pasta for one (recipe for this Aglio Olio: minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, spaghetti. In low heat, infuse olive oil with garlic while your spaghetti cooks in boiling water. Drain pasta, add to skillet with olive oil and garlic, add salt and pepper to taste. So cheap, so easy. It's what I bring to work the week before pay week... also I don't tend to measure ingredients because garlic is a way of life and who am I to put restrictions on how much you should use?! P.S. this plate is another good find from The Market - kindly gifted to me. I want to collect this whole set).
I do feel like I've only ever pushed myself to do a typically 'social' activity on my own. Back in 2018 I went to a concert by myself for a story I was writing and I had a hell of a lot of fun and met some cool people that night that I still keep in touch with! But there are things I've also been curious to experience but never had the guts to like karaoke by myself. Kinda tragic, but could be quite fun. Belting out sad songs at the top of my lungs and maybe shedding a tear or two? Could be therapeutic (I know, I know, Miss Drama Queen strikes again. This was fresh heartbreak times, friends. Sorry!). So I started making a list of these things. A solo bucketlist, if you may. It was triggered by a karaoke place I walked passed recently. It seemed like such a fun, random thing to do on a Friday night. But none of my friends seemed keen.
So Jess Being Alone is just me keeping a record of these experiences, sharing how I feel when I do the thing, maybe the learnings after. To be honest I don't know what kind of format to even do this in - maybe IGTV vlogs? Youtube? Just a blog post? I don't even know how often I'm planning to do this. Once a month? A new experience every payday? Time will tell.
What I do want to share, though, is my list so far. Jess Being Alone 2020:
- Karaoke
- Go dancing on my own (I'm!!!In!!!The!!!Corner!!!Watching!!!You!!!Kiss!!Her!!OOOOOHH!!I'm!!! Right!!!Over!!!Here!!!Why!!!Can't!!!You!!!See!!Me!!!!OOOOHHHH!!!)
- Solo holiday somewhere new
- Amusement park trip
- Fine dining (I'm thinking of giving in and just booking Pasture)
- Silent retreat (Kinda like Fleabag)
So far so good. I'm open to ideas so please do slide into my DMs if you've got any!
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