#LOVE! You, Me, and Everyone we Said No to by Odilia Rivera-Santos

Can you be single and take a break from dating and relationships?

In New York City, there are many opportunities for dating, hookups and the game-over situation called marriage. We are constantly talking to new characters at networking events, social gatherings and in the day-to-day commute through our magnificent journey as New Yorkers.
But, this is also one of the best places in the world to be alone, not tethered to another being and uninterested in the opposite sex, or same sex if you're gay. As a single, you make plans and invite people to join you or go alone.

 You, me and everyone we said no to

When you're committed to being alone, you will say no to people without hesitation and a Mona Lisa smile. Not swayed by the perfunctory ego-glory of being like-liked, you stick to your plans for the night, weekend, etc. The long explanation isn't necessary -- you don't need to explain your social experiment of enjoying your solitude and aloneness in order to spare someone's feelings. People asking you out is like a salesperson making cold calls: he dusts off his lines and repeats them again and again, registering only the response of yes or no, not the tenor or facial expression. You don't really matter to the guy who's asking twenty women out on the same day. And it's ok.

What can you do as a single woman?
You can finally get around to tie-dying those white t-shirts.
Go dancing five nights per week.
Do a salt scrub and leave the tub full of salt.
Work on your spiritual journey without spot-checking where your partner is on his or whether your partner is on a spiritual journey at all.
Walks in the park.
Meditation.
Brunch with friends
and the fireworks of loving yourself, where you are and what you're doing.