There are times where I wonder to myself: Do I like being single? The answer is not a simple yes or no. You see, sometimes it feels great because you can go about being single and ready to mingle. Then, other times, you look around at your friends who are in a relationship, married, or married and having kids and you start to feel… what’s the word… lonely. Then you being to wonder, do I like the single life?

The single life is complicated. Everyone around you asks “So, are you still single?” Or they get suddenly get enthusiastic and say “Hey, I know someone that you should meet!” Or they may even say “You’re so lucky you’re single, being in a relationship sucks.”

To all of those reactions, the single person feels conflicted emotions. What is so destructive about the single life is that singles tend to fantasize about the “perfect one” and get pickier by the day. It makes finding someone you will approve of as perfection near impossible. And then you wonder, again, “Why am I single?” without introspectively thinking that perhaps the expectations are too high, way past the limit.

So what is a single to do? Should the single life change into the “Taken Life”? Singles don’t want to end up getting into desperate relationships either. There seems to be a point where acceptance is key and to just let things happen on its own accord the only way to go. But it’s hard to accept the current state of affairs and not to get obsessive of what could be, or what might be.

As a single, I haven’t quite reached the acceptance stage. I’m currently in the stage of “I’m going to find my ideal guy one day! And that day is going to be sooner than later… I hope.” The scary thing about that is, well, maybe you’ll never find that perfect match, or maybe it’ll take longer than expected. So is it worth the wait? Should singles continuously wait, hope, dream, and fantasize about being in a relationship or just enjoy the moments as they come and go, whether or not it’s with a special someone? Answer to that, again, is complicated.

So, cheers to the single life and all the singles out there! Remember, being single can be awesome, and some days it can make you feel down, but overall, being single gives you the time to find yourself, be yourself, and do what you want to do, whether that be traveling, taking up hobbies and interests you always wanted to do, or just enjoying life… even if it’s the Single Life.