Self love, Growth, & Gratitude
The hardest part about getting these blogs in is finding the right time to invest my energy into writing. I for one, am not the type who can just force the lyrics out of my brain. I need the lyrics to flow effortlessly without any sort of control. My words are effortless on this blog and I tend to keep it that way. This week, well the past few weeks have felt intense with the heat and all the planets in retrograde. I took some time to reflect on my own self-worth and even treated myself to a fancy dinner the other night. I had almost forgotten how long it had been since I had taken myself out on the town, alone. I could have invited close friends and was even invited to a movie. With so many options, I gladly declined and faced my fear of going out on the town alone.
I thought it was different than when traveling, whenever I would travel alone, I had no choice but to dine alone as well. I forgot about taking the time to explore the Richmond scene as if I were a traveler. To go for a walk on the streets I had busied on like a honeybee, To take time to smell the roses and notice the scenery and beauty of this place I called home. There is a beauty in going out alone, and instead of taking the change of plans for the worse, I made the best out of my night with myself. The night started with a trip to my favorite vegan/vegetarian Restaurant in town, Impanema.
I had forgotten how amazing this place was, such a gem in this city where veganism is overlooked and put at bay by throwing a single item on a meat-heavy menu. The first course was a Watermelon ceviche over plantain tostones with jalapeno and red onion. I paired my entire meal with a glass of Spanish Rose. This dish truly blew me away, the watermelon paired perfectly with the spice of the jalapeno and the presentation was spot on. Next up was their braised fennel dish that had an Italian spin, served with sliced baguette. I finished the meal with Korean BBQ tempeh served over white rice with pickled veg and bok choy. The restaurant truly blew me away, so much love and dedication were put into each dish and I could taste it.
On the way home, I felt a deep sense of self-love and growth fill me, I felt autonomy and gratitude for my ability to even offer myself a beautiful night like this on my terms. I finished the night by heading over to Charm School for their vegan pistachio Ice cream served on their homemade waffle cone. I ran into a few friends as I walked around downtown had a couple of beers and then made the trek back home. I realized that I might have looked lonely sitting at the bar alone, or walking with my street light reflected shadow trailing beside me, But I didn't allow that to phase me. I didn't allow the fear of being out alone stop me from an awesome night with myself, and from this experience, I learned so much about my capacity for self-love, contentment, and gratitude. Take yourself out for a date for one, you deserve it.
xoxo
Owl