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!

I realized in the past year as I became more and more burnt out, I never spent time on the beach. 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! Sitting on the sand and reconnecting to my love for drawing. This spot, tucked underneath a small walking bridge, became my go-to place in Ocean Beach to sit and exist in peace.
While hanging out with Bumble boy, I tried surfing for the first time. And the second time. I was absolutely terrified to go myself, and yet I didn't want to limit myself from engaging in something I was learning to enjoy just because he was not around. So I went by myself! This was a breakthrough experience for me and my confidence ... and I ended up getting stung by a sting ray. It was incredibly painful, but I regret nothing. The fact that I put myself out there was what mattered.

In reclaiming my peace, I also tried yoga! In fact this was my third or fourth post ever on my Instagram account. This day was another breakthrough as I realized how disconnected I was from my body and how much that was contributing to my poor mental health.