Ticket... for One

Last summer, at the end of the busiest summer I'd ever had, right before I returned to work, I had lunch with several second grade teachers from the last elementary school I had worked at before getting a job at My Small Town High School.  After lunch, I drove over to the My Small Town Travel Agency, and told the travel agent that I wanted to leave on a cruise.  As soon as possible, please.  Well, it wasn't the next day, but was the following Monday, just three days later.  I took a Norweigan Cruise to the Bahamas from Miami-- 5 days, four nights.... alone.

The cruise taught me a lot.

1.  I did not like being placed at table 26 in the dining room, which was a table for two, on the wall, and felt very, very lonely.  I only sat at that table once, but it was enough.  When the hostess tried to seat me there again I told her I did NOT like that table, and I would be happy to wait for a window table.

2.  The key to doing anything alone is to have a good book.  I never went to the dining room without a book or my journal.  I was never alone as long as I could write my observations.

3.  The piano bar is a single gal's best friend.  I went there each night after going to that night's performance.  In the piano bar, I met two very nice ladies from DC, who became my friends.  We had dinner the last night in the swanky steakhouse restaurant on the ship, and we are still friends on FB.  Single women of a certain age stick together.  (They were actually both married, but had left their husbands at home)  I was a bit younger than them, but I appreciated their company so very much.  We had our picture taken by the piano on our last night on the ship, and had breakfast together the next morning. 

I read, I snorkeled, I rode a horse on the beach.  I ate amazing food, and met a lot of really nice people.  It was a GREAT vacation, and so needed before I plunged myself into the deep end of high school counseling.

The past two weekends, I've gone to the movies by myself, both times to the Enzian, my favorite (dare I say only?) independent movie theater in Orlando.  The Enzian is the kind of theater where you can order food and drink.  I love it!  Last weekend I saw a movie called Submarine, and I was sitting by myself with another guy sitting by himself the next table over, so I really didn't feel all that alone in my situation.  We did not speak, but we didn't need to.  Today, I saw one of my favorite movies of all time, The Princess Bride.  I had tentative plans to see a friend today so I wasn't sure if I was going to the movies by myself or not, but I had decided that I was going no matter what.  The friend didn't join me, but that didn't stop my enjoyment of the film.  I ordered the most delectable truffle fries, an Orange Blossom Pilsner, and texted a couple of friends until the movie started.  (I hadn't been eating much lately, so I allowed myself the indulgence of the truffle fries-- so worth it!!!)

I should say that I own The Princess Bride on DVD.  I probably know every bit of dialogue by heart.  Still, it was so much fun to see it in a real, live movie theater, with other people laughing at the same bits where I laugh, and to clap at the end of the film.  I was alone, but I didn't feel lonely in the least.  If I'm going to be Single in a Small Town, then I need to be able to do stuff on my own.  I will continue to see movies on my own, at the Enzian and elsewhere, until I meet someone who might be a reason for me to say, Ticket... for Two. 



Addendum:  The author has indeed become uncoupled... and is doing just fine.  That's all she has to say about that.