I Went on 8 Solo Dates To Fall in Love With Time Alone With Myself — Here’s What Happened

What I did to break the mental barriers that kept me from enjoying a date with myself

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It hit me the other day.

In less than a month, alone time will be a thing of the past. I’m 36 weeks pregnant as I write this*, so in just 4 weeks, my life will change forever.

Damn.

And though I’m beyond excited (and ready for the pregnancy to end because… hard), I’m also pre-mourning the things that’ll change.

Exhibit A: having alone time whenever I want — a luxury for parents.

However, the main reason this brings me sadness isn’t because I know it’ll be a few months — or even years — before alone time can return to being a part of my routine (necessary for an introvert like me). I’m sad because I didn’t fully take advantage of this non-parent benefit while I could.

Yes, I’ve had plenty of cozy afternoons on the couch, watching a movie or reading a book. Yes, I’m a pro at happily spending hours alone.

But there’ve been many times when I’ve stopped myself from doing what I really wanted to do — going to the cinema, trying a new restaurant, sightseeing — because of two mental…