Self
Read an exclusive excerpt fromUnattached: Essays On Singlehood.
Theres something quite liberating aboutbeing single.
But the reality tells a different story.
Thats why we need to break the stigma and stereotypes.
AndUnattached: Essays On Singlehood(published Feb. 3) does exactly that.
Excerpt fromUnattached: Essays On Singlehood-Eat, Pray, Run, by Jessica Morgan.
Jake* was my longest and most serious relationship.
We had been together for four years.
I dont love you any more, he told me over a Pumpkin Spice Latte.
I was shocked, confused and started laughing because I thought it was a joke.
It must have been.
We had spent four years four magical years in love.
At least in my head.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I accepted it, finished my coffee and headed home.
A few days later he texted me.
We still have those tickets to Winterville on Saturday, shall we go?
It seemed an odd request, as I had just been dumped.
But I thought he had changed his mind and so I agreed, giddily.
We had pre-booked, with our entry tickets, a bottle of champagne and treats.
He didnt, and every time I tried to reach his hand to hold, he pulled away.
When the film ended, we stood opposite each other in Victoria Park in silence.
So are we not getting back together, I asked sheepishly.
No, he responded.
So what was the point in us coming here?
Wasnt this supposed to be romantic?
Well, it was better than wasting the tickets, he responded coldly.
I realised this was the end, but what a way to do it.
It was a bitter end, and one I didnt get over for the next six months.
We never saw each other again.
Before Jake and I broke up, I had launch the Berlin marathon.
So in May 2016 I jetted off to China.
I was about to trigger the Great Wall of China marathon.
Once I landed, I was introduced to the runners who would be joining me along the way.
Rasmus, a tall, blond man from Sweden, who looked very serious.
I had to rebuild myself again to become Jessica before my relationship.
And it was difficult, but I was determined.
Then Val, an outspoken South African woman, who had run more than fifty marathons and ultra-marathons.
And Roel, a gay Filipino man who made me laugh every minute of the day.
And Amy, my roommate, who kept me up all night, giggling as we traded skincare tips.
My new friends, from all over the world, taught me something important.
It made me feel seen.
One day we went to the Forbidden Palace.
Dont lose yourself was poignant to me and has stayed with me ever since.
Then, on 14 May 2016, I took this message with me along for the ride.
I no longer felt the desperate need for one central relationship and I continued to work on myself.
I joined running clubs, I made new friends and I challenged myself with new opportunities.
But if love hadnt crept into my life the way it did, I still would have been happy.
I have found joy, today, tomorrow and forever.
*Pseudonym
Unattached: Essays On Singlehoodby Angelica Malin is published by Vintage and isavailable to buynow.
This article was originally published onFeb.
