No, I am not a narcissist. No, I am not lonely nor am I crazy. Yes, I am dating myself. And hopefully this article will convince you to as well.
The Backstory
I think we can all agree that 2020 was a year that we learned a lot about ourselves. I know personally I spent more time alone in the past year than I had all nineteen years prior. With all this alone time, I learned that I am an early bird, an amazing chef, not super organized, oddly addicted to popcorn, and that I am the only person that will be with me every second of every day from birth until death. And you know what? I love myself for every crazy second I spend alone. I mean, I kind of have to, right?
I started the idea of “dating myself” with a few self care activities. I like painting my nails, cooking elaborate meals, long drives jamming to the Miley Cyrus Plastic Hearts album, and even nights spent watching the Taylor Swift Miss Americana Netflix documentary while wearing a face mask. With friends like me, who really wants actual friends?
These fun activities lead me to realize that sometimes I just need to put myself first and do what actually sounds fun for me. When looking for the ideal partner, putting myself first is exactly what I needed. Rather than focusing my energy on others, I decided that the only way to make myself happy would be for me to start dating myself. And thus, this series began.
The First Date
What is an average first date? Movies? Coffee? Lunch? Dinner? Drinks? Considering I have not been on a date (no, Tinder dates do not count to me) since high school, I had to do some digging to figure out what would be the best way to actually introduce myself back into the dating environment. After extensive research I discovered a few cute first dates that might actually be pleasant, and because I am only scheduling a date for me, it made it easier to schedule out the perfect time for the date.
I decided to treat myself to a relaxing day basking in the sun in a hammock. To accompany the mood I made a delicious, personal, vegan charcuterie-esque board. Because seriously — what is better than the snacks in the sun combo? While relaxing, I did some serious pondering. I made sure to ask myself a few questions that a potential partner might ask another on a first date. I did this because I want to be comfortable with myself and dig deeper into my past, present, and future. This kind of felt like journaling, one of my favorite hobbies, which means it was perfect for my ideal date.
What’s Next?
Well, I definitely enjoyed this date more than the typical and awkward Tinder or Bumble date. I learned that I love to treat myself, and it has been concluded that I will have a second date. Since it’s now February, I am thinking of having a Valentine’s themed dinner to celebrate with myself (because I am my own “other half”).