Me Time

I’ve always been a bit of a loner. It might be the ‘only child syndrome’ but when I was a kid I was perfectly happy curled up in my room with a good book or giving my Barbie’s haircuts and streaks with an orange highlighter. I mean, I totally played with other kids and had best friends, but I’ve never really had an issue with entertaining myself.

Oh and you may be confused on why I refer to myself as having been an only child when I’ve mentioned that I have 2 sisters and a brother. I WAS an only child for 12 years before my brother came along, followed a year later by my twin sisters. So I feel like I got to experience the best of both worlds – only-childness and having a larger LOUD family.

When I was in college, my kidlings (that’s what I call them, it’s like they’re a cross between my kids AND my siblings…) were a handful. Which is probably why my parents didn’t really notice when I planned and went on a trip to travel around Europe when I was 19. Yup, I got myself a passport, saved up some money and flew over to Europe with three friends. We traveled around for a few weeks and had a fantastic time.

While I have lots of amazing memories from that trip, one memory really sticks with me. I’ve always been a bit of a theater nerd (my minor in college was even Theater) and when we were in London I saw that Rent was playing with the same two original lead actors that I had previously seen in New York. I was DYING to go, even though tickets were pretty expensive for our ‘starving student’ budget.

Nobody else wanted to go with me though.

However, instead of just giving up and hanging out with my friends at some pub drinking hard cider (which was even more awesome since we were underage in the US), I decided to go anyway. So in a strange country that I’d never visited before, I mapped out my trip, hopped on the Tube and found my way to the theater.  I sat by myself, making small talk with the people on either side of me and it was one of the best shows I’d ever seen (except for the fact that Maureen was played by a girl with a French accent. What. The. Heck?!). When the show was over, I walked back to the Tube station, rode to my stop and walked the mile or so back to the place we were staying.

Alone.

And it was great.

As you can imagine, I don’t really do many things alone nowadays. I mean, with a one year old it’s difficult to even use the bathroom by myself. Most of the time there is a little boy hanging out in his pack-and-play staring at me through the glass shower door while I try to shave my legs. Which would be totally creepy, if it weren’t my kid.

I recently saw that American Idiot is coming to the Hippodrome in Baltimore. I’d really wanted to see the show when it was on Broadway, but never had a chance to make it. Normally, I’d email some friends to see if anyone wanted to go with me and then pass if nobody was interested.* Instead, I thought about that 19 year old version of me and bought myself a ticket.

Just me. Alone.

And I can’t wait.

 

*My husband is NOT a musical theater kinda guy. However, he IS a support-your-wife-by-watching-the-kid-so-she-can-go-to-the-theater kinda guy.

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12 thoughts on “Me Time”

  1. OMG that top description is so me. I’m really an only child and I didn’t have any cousins till I was 10. My parents friend don’t really have any kids so other that kids at school I was always surrounded by adults. Add on that I was a quiet kid I had no problem entertaining myself with books, or coloring or puzzles for hours on end.

    I did a similar thing when I turned 20 except I went alone. My mom’s brain almost exploded. She couldn’t understand that I was just packing up and going to Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales all by myself for no reason other than the fact that I wanted to go.

    1. I went to Scotland, Ireland and England too (not on that trip, on another one the following year). Didn’t hit Wales though… =)

      1. Loved Wales. They’re crazy but it’s very beautiful. Funniest part was having lunch with friends, we had a Canadian (me), an Australia, 2 English girls and 2 Welsh. The fact that any of us could actually understand eachother was a bloody miracle. There was a few moments where you just have to smile and nod.

  2. I am so jealous of your ability to do that.
    I actually freak out if I have to eat at a restaurant alone even thought I TREASURE alone time.
    Jealous isn’t a good word, envious is better.
    Good for you and let me know how it was!!!!

    1. Kari – you can totally cheat and take a book with you! I go to dinner myself a lot when I work late and I’m totally cool with chillin’ like a villain with my Kindle!

  3. That’s awesome. It always seems to bother people when I tell them that I love going to the movies alone. It’s nice. Just me in a dark theater, popcorn all to myself. I’m not responsible for the happiness of anyone else. With a 3 year old at home, that is important sometimes. Though, I’ll admit, I did it before he ever came along. I enjoy my own company, lost in a movie or book or whatever.

    1. The only drawback for me about going to movies alone is that I’m that person who likes to express her shock at the plot by giving a WTH face at my friend. I went and saw 13 going on 30 when it came out and was flabbergasted that I was in college theater stuff with one of the main guys… but had NOBODY to tell. So frustrating!

  4. I completely relate. I am an only child as well and it was just me and my mother growing up. Many times she would be reading and I would entertain myself by reading or listening to music or playing with my Barbies.

    My adult life I have been alone a lot and only have a few close friends and recently a long term boyfriend. It always surprises me when people can’t do things by themselves when that has basically been my life for 40 years. I love the people in my life right now but sometimes I still like just doing things on my own.

    I know you will enjoy your “me time” adventure.

    P.S. Musicals are the BEST! I got to see Rent in Houston with Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp (after already seeing it with other cast a bunch of times). So fabulous!

  5. It’s great that you’re willing to go places by yourself. I’ve done that with museums and day trips. I’m perfectly content to be alone and, now that I have a family, I consider alone time to be reinvigorating.

    But let’s talk about the important stuff… how come you never showed me the highlighter trick for Barbie hair? I gave Rocker Barbie a hip bob that would have been amazing with a pink stripe.

    1. LOL I probably didn’t want to mess us your awesome and nice looking barbies! Mine were nowhere as nice as yours, except for my Jem doll. She was super cool! 🙂

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