The single life is great, don’t get me wrong. The freedom to do whatever you want—and I cannot stress this enough—is fantastic. However, now that Hot Girl Summer is over, the reality of being romantically alone is starting to set in as the days get shorter.
To put it simply, the fall and winter seasons can be a bummer when you’re single.
Everywhere you look, it feels like there are couples either going on elaborate fair dates or posting cute pumpkin patch photos with their SO. The cold weather and shorter days often make feelings of loneliness a bit more pronounced for some reason. It’s really no wonder that the fall and winter months make up a majority of the infamous “cuffing season”, the time of year in which we feel extra pressure to jump into a relationship. Some hypothesize that the cold weather makes us more eager to cuddle up to someone, while others think we feel pressured to be romantically involved thanks to fall/winter media messages that center around love and romance.
Whatever the case may be, this article is a shout out to my fellow single people who are struggling to make the most of the fall season without an SO.
1. Bake (or cook) a fall recipe for yourself.
Baking is a ton of fun (and I promise I’m not biased because of my last name.) I recently made a weeks’ worth of pumpkin bread and guiltlessly ate almost all of it by myself. Baking for yourself is also great because you don’t have to worry about whether or not anyone will like the outcome. In other words, it’s an opportunity for you to grow your baking/cooking skills without fear of judgment! Hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a dish or two that you can truly savor and more cooking/baking know-hows for the future. Of course, you can always let others try your creations if you want, but it’s okay to be a little selfish.
2. Carve (or paint) a pumpkin.
October may be coming to an end but there’s still time to paint or carve a pumpkin if you want. With Thanksgiving and the December holidays coming up, it could also be cute to paint/carve a turkey, Christmas tree, or even a menorah, depending on what you celebrate. If messing with real pumpkins isn’t your jam, I recently spotted some paper mache pumpkins at AC Moore, perfect for painting. By using fake pumpkins as a base, you certainly don’t have to worry about the inevitable rotting process or making a mess. Best of all, you can keep your pumpkin creations year-round and save them for next year!
3. Plan a “Friendsgiving” (or a similar potluck style event).
Friendsgiving is such a sweet concept. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it is an occasion where friends come together (usually the week before Thanksgiving) to enjoy food and celebrate the season. It’s very similar to actual Thanksgiving, but, as the name suggests, it’s less about family and more about friends. Additionally, most Friendsgiving celebrations are potluck style, meaning guests bring some kind of food item to share with others. If you have the time, definitely make an effort to plan a Friendsgiving! If your circle of friends is small, not to worry. A successful Friendsgiving doesn’t have to include tons of people. In fact, it might be more fun to host the event with three or four close pals.
4. Plan a movie marathon with your friends.
The fall/winter seasons open up the opportunity to plan themed movie marathons! With Halloween quickly approaching, there’s still plenty of time to watch your favorite spooky flicks with your friends or family. And then, after October 31st turns into November 1st, it’s time to dust off the holiday classics. It’s never too soon for Elf, The Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, or the Jim Carrey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (my personal favorite).
This list is fairly basic, but the main point here is that you do not need an SO to enjoy any of these activities (even those not listed). Take comfort in your own company and the company of your friends and family, as these are some of the most important relationships in your life. Lastly, choose to make the fall and winter seasons about discovering your interests and building new skillsets, whether it’s through cooking or crafting or something entirely different. There are only two more months left in 2019, so, single or not, make the most of it!
(Photos courtesy of Unsplash and Popsugar.)