Chapter 4 - La Vie en Rose
It’s only in fairy tales that princesses can afford to wait for the handsome prince to save them. In real life, they have to bust out of their own coffins and do the saving themselves.
—Meg Cabot, Abandon
Suggested browsing song: La vie en rose by Louis Armstrong
The infamous van from my Bumble situationship. The freedom it symbolized drew me in.
The texts that would make me drop everything for a guy ... oof.
The view from the rocks in Ocean Beach, San Diego.
I had just learned about the Marilyn Monroe effect, so when I walked down the street and told myself to "act like a confident person," this was where I got the idea from!
After Bumble boy, this was one of my first solo adventures! I hiked down to a secluded beach, reconnected to my love of reading and nature, and played Soft 50s on repeat.
Another solo adventure! This spot, tucked underneath a small walking bridge, became my go-to place in Ocean Beach to sit and exist in peace.
While with Bumble boy, I tried surfing for the first time. I was terrified to go myself, but I didn't want to be tied to him, so I went ... and I ended up getting stung by a sting ray. I regret nothing.
In reclaiming my peace, I also tried yoga! This was my 4th post ever on my Instagram account. I realized how disconnected I was from my body and how that was contributing to my poor mental health.
And sometimes I literally just drove to a park to lay down and do nothing. In the stillness I realized how much other people's stress was affecting my mental state.
One day I found this magical 5-stumped tree??
So I sat in the center and journaled. This was God's tree I swear. (Well all trees are God's trees but this tree had ENERGY).