The art of being single

Graphic by Loreanna Lastoria

Welcome to the final column of the year!

In January, I started this column as an outlet for me to yell about my dissatisfaction with dating culture. These past 11 months have been a rollercoaster of emotions and of real life experiences of dates I have gone on, of boys I have fallen for, that have broken my heart, taught me lessons about men, about dating, about being single and looking for love in a hookup culture.

This column has been the place for me to explain different aspects of dating, to give advice on how to handle being single, to share my experiences and personal anecdotes with however many readers actually read these 400 words every week. Those 15 or so minutes every week have been the most liberating of my week.

This past year has taught me how to let go of toxic people, how to make an effort for the people you like, to shoot my shot unapologetically, to show people how I feel, and most importantly that, no matter what happens, good or bad, everything happens for a reason and it’s all a part of the art of being single.

Thank you to all my readers for sticking through my rants, my hatred for the shitty things that happen within dating and hookup culture, my sad moments, my life lessons, my maybe terrible advice—I’m not really sure what I’m doing but thank you for putting up with it all.

Before we come back in 2020, here’s a roundup of some of the most important lessons—all in my opinion obviously—that I’ve written and want to share once again. If you want to shoot your shot but are afraid of doing so, read “Just do it—just shoot your shot.” If you want to understand more about how ghosting affects people, read “Ghosting, bad dates, and trying again” or “Accepting not knowing why you’ve been ghosted.” If you’re looking for how to get over someone, take a gander at these articles: “Don’t give up on finding your person” or my first ever article “Accepting that it’s okay to not be the one.

I’ll see you all in the new year with more advice and life lessons. Until then, have a great holiday season, make the most of the time  off, do what’s best for you, and remember to keep making an art of being single.

Graphic by Loreanna Lastoria

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