Breaking News: Newly Single Woman Struggles With Lonliness

A friend of mine flew in from Panama yesterday and we had dinner at this wonderful Indian restaurant in Wicker park. Soph and I haven't known each other for very long. I just met her when I took a trip to Panama in December. But we're kindred spirits to say the least. It's always wonderful to click with a stranger, but for that stranger to become one of your closest confidants in such a short amount of time... Well, it is just so lovely. We both love food blogs, travel, photography, yoga, sunshine and Central America. She's also a recently single gal who picked up and relocated after the break up. As a matter of fact, while I was putting states between me and my ole lover, Sophie moved to a completely different country from hers. She was taking breaking-up continental.

We were catching up last night and she said, "I just wish that I could just come home, and even though everything else is shit, just curl up on a man's chest and feel safe. Even if that relationship sucked, it would be nice just to have that minute before you fall asleep to feel safe." We went on to joke about blow up dolls and man pillows. We came to the conclusion that for a man-stand-in to work, it must be warm and include features like 'a furry chest' and 'nipples'.

This conversation speaks volumes about single women. Newsflash! It gets lonely, especially in the beginning. But the part that says the most about us is the idea that we could even fathom being in our old dysfunctional relationships for just a little bit of comfort and companionship. It's interesting that at this point, it seems that we'd consider trading in torture for that one minute before we fall asleep.

What about the other 1339 minutes? Well, that's what girlfriends are for.

Perhaps this kind of mentality is why so many single women rush into cruddy relationships right after a break up. I say that this is a good time to figure ourselves out. I think this is a perfect time for growth. It's right time that we stop feeling lonely and start feeling comfortable with being with ourselves.

Since her break up, Sophie has learned Spanish, opened up her own sushi restaurant in Panama, and has become the office manager for a Spanish speaking school. That's what I'm talking about, sista.