Perks of the Bachelorette Life

The thing about our married counterparts is this: they have the husband and the 2.5 kids and the white picket fence, but they don’t have what we singles have – a blank canvas. In a sense, they don’t have a chance to color both inside and outside of their lives and boldly embrace not knowing what comes next. In many ways, their lives are decided. Settled. Complete. Predictability is not a bad thing, but neither is the unpredictability of the single journey – Mandy Hale

Single women have it made (even if they don’t know it yet.) How? They get to come into their own as women and live and love on their own terms. In this season of my life, I overlooked the joys of being a bachelorette while weathering challenges of loneliness and standing by watching many of my peers, family, and others opt for a life of love, marriage, and baby carriages. But now it’s time to raise a glass to the single life. Being a bachelorette has its perks! Bachelorette’s have options like…

· Having their own living space and place all to themselves.

· Shopping for home décor and decorating their places as they see fit.

· Traveling whenever they want.

· Spending and saving their money as they’d like.

· Spending their time and energy as they’d like.

· Dating (and flirting) freely without commitment.

· Being able to invite new and different experiences into their lives at any time.

· The option to pack up and live in different cities without having to consult with a partner.

· The option to take new jobs in different cities without having to consult with a partner.

· Being able to spend as much time with their inner circle as they’d like.

· Being able to make plans without having to consult with someone (as opposed to being in a relationship and having to consider a partner.)

· Being able to host girls’ nights in.

· Not having to worry about cooking (or ordering takeout) for anyone but themselves.

· And the option to be fully focused on their individual hopes, goals, and dreams and not waiting on anyone or anything before living their own fabulous lives J.

I wish more women who aren’t tied down yet who struggle with singleness, could see how great they really have it. There are times when it gets rough just dating, waiting, scrolling through the social media world of engagement rings and proposals and wedding photos and attending countless wedding events, baby showers, and more, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting a significant other or a relationship or kids, but who says you can’t have your own life in the meantime?

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About six to be exact. · The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. · The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken things too far

Making Waves