36 Things Every (single) Girl Must Do Before She Settles Down

I saw this article on MSN today and it’s an excerpt from Glamour Magazine. It’s titled 36 Things Every Single Girl Must Do Before She Settles Down.

Although I’m not “single” by the definition in this article, I’m single in the aspect that Seth is deployed and I spend most of my time alone.

Here’s the list and I’ll work on some of these during the rest of this deployment. Some of these I really can’t do because they involve dating…and well I’m not THAT single. Nor do I want to be.

To Build Your Confidence…
1. Go to a movie alone. (I’ve never done this… too shy, but maybe now is the time. Hello massive tearjerker movie!)
2. Lift weights. When I bench-press 45 lbs., I feel like the bomb. (CHECK! Although I’m not at 45 lbs, I can do at least 23 and I’m working my way up one pound at a time).
3. Try surfing, water-skiing, or some activity you don't already know how to do. Could be riding a bicycle. (I’ve never been into water sports, I don’t even like jumping off a diving board or off the side of the pool really. I will commit to working on that, but don’t count on me surfing or water skiing…and I do ride my bike regularly. Any other ideas? I'll think of something).
4. Take out the trash, set a mousetrap, do your taxes, build a bookcase. (Check! I’ll call maintenance. Already do. I’ll build a pretty box for our wedding cards…I’ve been thinking about this already).
5. Live alone, or at least move apartments in NYC without the help of family. (I already live alone. I’m not moving until we’re married and I move to go be wherever Seth is at).
6. Train for (and finish) a huge physical test like a half-marathon. (This sounds like a big undertaking. How about I commit to losing 15 pounds and we call it even? Deal).
7. Go to a scary doctor's appointment by yourself. I once dragged myself to a CAT Scan in the dead of winter, all the way over on 1st Ave., post-break-up. I felt like I was made of steel. (Check…multiple times. However, whenever I get pregnant, we’ll revisit this one).
8. Quit your job. It feels so good to take a job and shove it (and not be affecting anyone else's livelihood). (Can’t do this, don’t want to do this. Financially, I can’t and I mostly like my job. I’ll be doing it soon enough though, after we’re married. Let’s put this on hold for a year).
9. Fly to a foreign country by yourself. I was nervous on my first solo trip to Europe, even though I almost always have to travel alone. (I’ve done this. Of course, Seth was on the receiving end and I was going to visit him in Germany, but I still flew across the Atlantic Ocean by myself. I’ll be doing this again next spring when I go back to Germany for his homecoming. Then I’ll be finding my way to his town all by myself, which includes train travel. This will be accomplished).
10. Learn to stand up for yourself. (If you're not naturally assertive, may I recommend moving to New York City? It did wonders for me.) (Hmmm, I’ve done this before. I’ll try it some more though).
To Be Able to Look Back and Say "I Had Fun"…
11. Witness something once-in-a-lifetime, like Jokulsarlon, a lake next to a melting glacier in Iceland (see photo). (I’ve been to Alaska twice and saw glaciers and whales! I’m waiting to go again with Seth. We’ve been to a castle and a concentration camp in Germany together. I’m choosing to postpone more fun experiences until we can do them together, because I’d so much rather do them with him).
12. Revel in being able to watch all the reality TV you want. I'm pretty sure no man will be able to stand as much Bravo TV as my roommate Erica. (Ohhhhh, trust me, I already do!! Bekah and I have The Hills and The City marathons).
13. Get drunk during the day, just because you can. Attend Santacon, the convention for Santas, or something similar. (I’ll get drunk this Saturday during the day, just because I can and this list suggests it. Instead of a Santa convention, I’ll go to Amish country for the day and live like the Amish).
14. Go on a date with someone who actually makes you nervous. I can’t/don’t want to go on a date with someone other than Seth. However, I will be somewhat nervous going on our first date after he gets back, after not seeing each other for ohhhh, say like 9-10 months. So, this too is postponed until he’s back).
15. Go out with an older man who takes you somewhere nice and makes you feel like a million bucks. (I can’t/don’t want to do do this except with Seth. He is a year older and w’ll do it when he’s on leave and I imagine we’ll both get dressed up real nice and go to a fancy place and he’ll make me feel like a million bucks. Another postponed one until we’re together).
16. Go out with a guy who makes you laugh ‘til it hurts. (Done. Doing it now. Even though we’re half a world apart, he still makes me laugh. On the phone, in emails, on instant messenger, hopefully on a wecam soon. This too will be done in person when he’s home).
To Get Perspective…
17. Be a good wingwoman. It's not always about you. (Actually it is all about me, but I’ll work on my wingwoman status).
18. Chill with your widowed and single grandma. She knows "alone"! (I have one grandma left and she’s in Oregon. I have another 'adopted' nana though that I can do this with, and we have something planned later this summer…wedding shopping!)
19. Volunteer. (Ok. I really should be doing more of this. I have no excuse).
To Make You Appreciate the Next Guy…
20. Do at least one Valentine's Day alone. (Done and done. This year and next).
21. Attend a wedding (or 15) alone. (I’m not invited to any weddings in the next few months, but if I am, rest assured I will go…alone).
22. Date the creeps. You'll really value the nice guys afterward. (No thanks. Never been a fan of the creeps. I have a perfectly good guy who I am waiting patiently for, thankyouverymuch).
To Make You Feel Sexy and Attractive…
23. Buy yourself some flowers. (Already do…at the farmers market).
24. Invest in a LBD (little black dress) and some sexy stilettos. (Ok…it’s about time I do this. I already know what shoes I want! . I don’t like martini’s and I don’t go to bars by myself. This might be difficult).
26. Buy something frivolous and expensive that you LOVE wearing. (I will do this in a few weeks. I’ll be buying my wedding shoes for $298. Eeek!!! That’s a lot for shoes, but holy crap they are cute as hell!!! See?)
To Make the Most of Your Free Time…
27. Finish all your schooling if you can. Not that it was ever my goal to go to grad school, but I did, and it would've been tough dragging a guy up to isolated New Hampshire and making him sit there in the cold for two years while I studied (and partied). (I should start taking a class again. I’ll look into it. I promise).
28. Throw yourself into something time-consuming, like learning a foreign language. You may not have time to do this again until you retire and the kids are off to college. (How about planning a wedding? I think this will suffice!)
To Make Yourself a Better Partner in the Future…
29. Make a list of all your faults. (Yikes, this doesn’t sound fun. I’ll do it. Maybe I’ll get the nerve to post it).
30. Learn to cook well. (I'm still working on this. This is a constant work in progress).
31. Get some hobbies. Something's gotta keep you occupied—plus it'll make you seem interesting. (I have hobbies, but I could use more. I’ll google “hobbies” and see what it suggests).
32. Let your married friends edit your online dating profile. My dear friend Cheryl has caught a few doozies. (I don’t have nor do I need an online dating profile).
33. Get your finances in order. (This too is a current work in progress).
To Appreciate Being Single…
34. Babysit someone's baby for an hour. (Done. I do this frequently).
35. Help a friend through her divorce or a bad break-up. (Current work in progress)
36. Host a girls-only night. I think some coupled-up women forget how much we need each other. (Ok).

So in summary, lots of these I've already done. Also, some of them really are for the truly sing girls. I'll work on the rest though. And sorry this turned into such a long post. Damn, that was not my intent.