Spring Flings with Myself

Spring is in the air! Birds are chirping everywhere! The produce is ripe and bursting with flavor! The sun doesn’t set until 9:30 in Paris! So, obviously, it’s the perfect season to be outside taking yourself out on dates. 

Dating yourself doesn’t require an extra budget, and you don’t necessarily have to be alone.  What matters most is that you’re doing something that brings you joy and makes you grateful for the life you’re living and the things you’re able to experience. 

As my favorite season transitions into my most beloved one, summer, I’ve been thinking about the small things I’ve done, alone or with friends, that have filled my cup.  Here are some things I’ve done alone and in the company of others that filled my heart with joy. If you’re in Paris, I highly recommend ticking one or two of these off your list. If you’re not in Paris, I highly recommend doing similar things in your own city. Wherever you are, I IMPLORE you to revel in the pleasure of your own company and do something just for you.

If you’re in Paris, I highly recommend checking off one or two of these. If you’re not, try a version in your own city. Wherever you are, I implore you to revel in the pleasure of your own company. You deserve it.

Here are a few of my recent spring flings:

1. Picnicked alone at Parc Monceau
   I packed a smoked salmon sandwich, a small side salad, water (although I really wanted wine, but it was mid-week and I’m trying to be a responsible adult), and my book du jour: The Coin, by Yasmin Zaher. I weather was beautiful. It was quiet, easy, and glorious.

2. Mid-week lunch along Canal Saint Martin with friends

   There was nothing complicated about my lunch with Robin and Tanisha. We grabbed food to-go, found a spot along the canal, popped open a few bottles of wine et voilà. We laughed, we vented, we caught up before heading home to finish our workdays. It was exactly what I needed.

3. Watched the Sunrise at Sacré-Cœur
   I’m not usually an early riser, but these last few weeks I’ve been going to bed early and waking up even earlier. One morning, a few weeks ago, I found myself wide awake at 5 am, tossing and turning. It was clear I was not going back to sleep, so I thought, why not go to Sacré-Coeur? I reasoned that the only other time I’d ever seen an empty Sacré-Coeur was during COVID, and I should give myself the gift of experiencing this iconic symbol of an arrondissement that holds so much of my heart, all to myself.  It was too early to buy a croissant, so it was just me, my coffee, and my thoughts welcoming the sun and a new day to a city I love. It put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.  

4.  Apéro en terrasse  (and people watching, bien sûr)
   I ordered a glass of Chablis and a plate of French fries, and watched the world pass me by. I eavesdropped on a few conversations and had a polite conversation with an older woman next to me. I pretended I was in a Godard film and for a few minutes my delusion felt so real.  

5. A solo movie date 

   I have to admit that the movie wasn’t very good. I don’t know if I should actually share what it was. It was French, and ok, fine, it was Les Règles de L’art. But if I’m honest, I went less for the movie and more for the theater. Cinema 28 is a very small one-screen theater that has been in Montmartre since 1928. The selection is very highly curated (I have no idea how this movie made it to its screens), the atmosphere is charming, and stepping inside feels like stepping back in time.

6. Took the long way home on the bus

   One evening, I found myself on the Left Bank (my trips to the left bank are becoming worryingly too frequent), but instead of taking the metro to my side of the river, I decided to take the bus. The route took me across the Seine, past the Eiffel Tower, and through postcard-perfect Parisian neighborhoods. I had nowhere to be, so I let the city unfold outside the window without an agenda. It felt like sightseeing without a plan, zero pressure. I simply enjoyed being in motion, taking it all in. 

I don’t have pictures or videos of most of these outings. I’m trying to spend less time on my phone and more time just being.  None of these moments were radical statements of defiance of societal norms or life-changing. But they were mine, and they brought me pleasure simply because I allowed them to. And that, truly, was enough.