10 things all single people must do before settling down
Checklist of experiences for single people to try before settling down.
1. Travel alone. Traveling by yourself builds a confidence you simply can’t get any other way. Explore the world.
2. Wallow in the ache of a broken heart. Consider this painful milestone a lesson in karma that’ll serve you well as you travel through your dating days.
3. Spend a weekend with a married couple your age. It will show you what married life is like, warts and all, so you won’t over-idealize the two-becomes-one phenomenon again.
4. Don’t come home all night. Crash on a friend’s couch, take your friends up on that offer of a last-minute trip.
5. Stand up for a cause you care about. There are other issues at stake in the world that could use your help.
6. Have a real adventure. Give yourself a thrill by doing something just for you, just for the experience — without having someone at home worrying about you or nagging you not to.
7. Learn how to take care of yourself. You’ll feel strong and self-sufficient — and you’ll be armed with skills to share when you are in a relationship.
8. Buy something hugely impractical just because you love it. Make yourself happy and buy something you crave.
9. Develop a hobby. Solo time is prime time to devote yourself to something that makes life more interesting for you — and makes you more interesting to others.
10. Be completely, utterly, wholly single for at least three months. You’re never more ripe for self-reflection than when you’re on your own — and the more you know yourself, the more likely you are to find someone who’s right for the real you.
