Is It Ok to Kick It By Yourself?

Image via Flickr by Ronnie.  As life separates your schedule from your friends, you may need to go out on your own. Here are 4 reasons to go out and enjoy the night on the town alone.

In your early 20’s, it was fairly simple to go out and have a good time with your friends. However, as time passes on, that unexpected thing occurs – Life!

In life we have children, careers (for some of us a dreaded job), education, volunteer opportunities, and a host of other things we must engage in. Sometimes life strolls us down the road we want while, for others, we must fight to get what’s ours! So we start to branch away from our friends, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just means we aren’t always on the same page to do the same activities all the time.

For instance, a close friend of mine went to Vegas a few years back for her bday without me. However, due to a lack of communication, she didn’t realize I could take off work at the spur of the moment because it seemed like I was constantly working! That’s been rectified, of course, since then.

But, there are other things now, such as children complications. I don’t mean our children are complications, just situations. While my children are teenagers and can watch themselves, not all of my friend’s children’s are. While my kids may be able to watch their kids, again life! What if my kids are sick or vice versa?

Now, just last night I was set and out the door to hang out with friends of mine. However, life hit again. Being it was the Fourth of July, we discovered the establishment was closed. So, rather than us driving around idly and me traveling extremely far which could have led to a much gruesome, boring night, I decided to venture out on my own to a Chicago suburb.

So with that said, is it ok to just go out and kick it by yourself? Absolutely! Here are 4 reasons why:

1. If you are married or have kids or both, you never have alone time! Get out and date yourself. Take yourself to the movies or even that damn bar that keeps calling out to you every time you pass by. Don’t you see everyone having fun in there? You can join in too. Someone will say hi to you!
2. Get out and get a new social circle! As said, life happens, and your friends are not always going to be available to you. Having a good mix of associates to go out with is fun and healthy. You get new perspectives on life as well as always have an alternate contact to call when you need to talk or go out.
3. Get out on a discount. Ok, when you go out with friends, more than likely you spend way more than you wanted to in the first place. Let’s get this appetizer, have three more drinks than you want, ohh it’s endless spending! However, when you go out on your own, you can not only spend what you want but eat what you want! All of my friends don’t like sushi … why should that stop me from going to the all you can eat sushi bar on Madison Street in Forest Park? Also, grab those discount coupons from Restaurant.com. They work mostly for dine-in patrons.
4. Did you know a man is less likely to approach you if you are with a group of other women? Yes, it’s intimidating for them. If it’s a group of guys together, they will approach a group of girls though. But, how many times do you find the man you want is too shy to approach you with your girls there or ends up being ambushed by your flirtatious friend?

Leave some mystery in your life. Which sounds better?

Friend: Hey girl what did you do last night?

You: Ohh stayed in bed and watched TV

Friend: Ohh same old, same old, me too.

Or

Friend: Hey girl what did you do last night?

You: Ohh girl I went out and had a ball.

Friend: Really, dang, you didn’t call me?

You: Ohh well I knew you were tired from the week! And, it was a last minute thing with some friends.

So put on your big girl panties and go kick it by yourself. You never know what the night’s events will entail. Just remember to slap that THICK napkin over your drink (you want to come home how you left it, right?)

Do you find it intimidating to go out by yourself? What are some alone activities you go out and do?