Earlier this month, as I gathered a list of 31 new things to try in January, I shared a fear with a friend of mine: the idea of seeing a movie by myself has always freaked me out.

She laughed, and countered: Joanna, I’ve been seeing movies by myself for years. Heck, I saw The Nutcracker by myself. First row.

The idea, as she calls it, is “dating yourself” – the fact that you’re comfortable enough in your own skin to do the things you want, when you want to, regardless of companionship. The world is your oyster. So I set a goal for this week: I would complete at least one the-thought-alone-makes-me-uncomfortable solo date. Read on for how it went (plus more from Week Three):

I went to a movie by myself. (Yes!) Initial fears aside, this “date” with myself was seriously refreshing. When I was sitting in that crowded theater – in workout clothes, hair unbrushed – something clicked: not one of these people is judging me right now. There’s no silly do-I-reach-for-his-hand first-date awkwardness. And – bonus! – popcorn? All mine.

I tried spinning. At 6:30AM. I am either in way better shape than I thought, or I did it all wrong (so easy to “cheat” and not increase the resistance). But regardless – it was fun! Seeing 5AM? Not so much.

I indulged in an eyelash treatment. I have terribly sensitive eyes – to the point where mascara is a no. So when I heard about LashDip – a treatment that coats your lashes for a mascara-like effect that lasts (waterproof!) up to four weeks – I indulged. The result? It looks exactly like mascara, so unless your eyes can’t handle that go-to black tube, don’t waste your money.

I tried a new mani. Thank you, Pinterest. In short: I’m obsessed.

I volunteered on my day off. It’s so easy to treat holidays as freebies meant for barbecues and weekend trips to the slopes instead of considering the meaning behind them. So this MLK day I tagged along with a friend to Central Square’s Day of Service, where we made scarves for children in need.

I cut out sugar. After three failed attempts at making perfectly fluffy meringues (in the name of “new,” of course), I decided to say sayonara to this so-called “toxic” substance. The cravings have yet to hit, but when they do, I’ll be ready with Cheez-It® crackers, which I’ve discovered contain terrible-for-you ingredients – but no sugar at all. (Yes, I do see the irony there.)

By Joanna Berliner, Editor 

Have a suggestion for something new I should try in January? Share it in the comments below or tweet us @ruelala. 

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