Alone and out of the house at 7pm!

Two Saturday nights ago, I found myself in a foreign place:

Alone and out of the house at 7 p.m.!

I’ve often described my home and my little family of three as my emotional support blanket. Since becoming a parent, I’ve found it easier to default my time in service to my family. Not because I’m on the way to becoming a Tradwife, but because there’s always something to do in a household with a toddler, two adults, and no additional help.

Carving out even an ounce of space to be without responsibilities often feels like a Herculean effort—not because my husband can’t handle solo parenting (I had zero hesitation leaving for a work trip to Dubai when our baby was 9 months old).

It’s because, like I said above, there’s always something to fucking do! Meal prep, clean something, spend quality time with my child, chip away at the endless life admin list—or just…rest.

But that Saturday night, I had a good excuse.

Some friends from my early New York days were in town, and we got together like we used to 10+ years ago. Time traveling back to those friendships, and the carefreeness of being out and about felt so good. Even though I dipped at 10:30 p.m., it was like a visit from my past self saying, “Hey, we used to do this a lot, and it was fun. Maybe it’s time to start doing more of this.”

When you’re in the mire of raising a kid who needs near-constant care, working 40+ hours a week, and managing a household, it feels impossible to consistently carve out time to be away from it all. But that night made me reflect on what I like doing, not just now, but back when my days lacked this level of responsibility.

It got me inspired to lean into the playfulness of my youth as a way to nudge me toward discovering what my current self needs more of. In no particular order, here are a few things I’m hoping to embrace:

Playing dress-up
As a kid, my sister and I loved dress-up. I have fond memories a gold princess crown and a plastic scepter that made me feel extra fancy. I’m hoping could channel that by being more intentional about how I get ready for the day—styling my hair differently, zhuzhing up my makeup routine, or breaking out of my uniform of jeans and a black or gray top.

Singing and performing
I was a choir and theater kid who loved memorizing monologues just for fun (I promise I was not a loser…). I should really be attending more live performances and concerts when I have an evening to get out. Music and the arts have always put me closer in tune with myself and others, and I need that outlet now more than ever.

Moving my body
Don’t worry, as a kid, I played sports too. Basketball and volleyball are activities that weaved in and out of my musical extracurriculars. In my 20s, I found a lot of solace in running and liked playing pick up soccer (until I tore my ACL). Postpartum, I’ve found working out oppressive (lol), but I’ve recently started going to a yoga studio in my neighborhood and have loved every class - and as a former teacher, I’m picky about sequencing. Falling back into yoga has been magical for my body and soul, and I’m committed to keeping up my weekly streak.

Crafting something
We had a craft bin growing up, and I loved creating anything. Next week, I’m making a felt Christmas tree with ornaments for Zora to decorate, and I know it’ll scratch that creative itch. There’s something so satisfying about making something with my hands.

Being outside
The outdoors have always a playground for me. When my family lived in a small German town, my sister and I would haul pogo sticks, jump ropes, and hula hoops via bike to the grassy lawn at city hall. The local kids would stare at us from afar (it was the 90s, we were the only Black and American kids in town—I get it), but eventually, we all warmed up to each other. These days, most of my outdoor time is spent at playgrounds, or walking to the subway for 3 minutes during the work week, but I’m craving the solo walks I used to take during the early pandemic. Wandering my neighborhood with a podcast or playlist in my ears without a time crunch, feels so simple, but it’s something I know I’ll have to really make an effort to follow through on.

If I can keep even one of these up, I’ll call it a win.

This week’s playlist is the perfect companion to any of these activities—but especially for getting ready for a night out, alone, after 7 p.m. 😘

See you soon,

Meghan