Saturday, November 17, 2012

Sweet November


It's a to-do list I made to remember the divorce bucket list I'd started when I was getting ready to separate from my husband. Since then -- the first anniversary of my saying "I want a divorce" -- I've done so many things and crossed off a lot of items. But I think I need to update it with more fun stuff, and I need to take stock of how far I've come. So here's my very personal divorce list.


  1. Paint a wall pink. I haven't done this literally, but I've made a few girly decorating changes around my home that Ben would have vetoed.
  2. Write my will. I need to do this! I did have one before though.
  3. Have a make out session. I got married young and Mormon, so I missed out on this before I got married.
  4. Have lunch with my friends. Mandatory, as much as possible.
  5. Take a trip alone. Not a single-mom vacation with the kids -- ALONE, preferably overseas, in a foreign country, or at a beach.
  6. Buy flowers for myself. Because they make me happy and I know exactly the kind I want.
  7. Go out as mutton dressed like lamb. No one will die as a result.
  8. Get in shape. I started with Zumba class and have now added yoga. This helps ward off depression, makes me feel energetic and powerful, and okay, maybe helps me look a bit better, too.
  9. Get a grip on my finances. Where is my money coming from, how much do I have, where is it all going? What are my goals?
  10. Meditate. I need to get back in the habit, but this practice really carried me through some tough months.
  11. Get a theme song. I change mine from time to time, but I need something that makes me feel like a superhero.
  12. Flake. I've become an expert.
  13. Do therapy. Can't even imagine doing divorce without this.
  14. Get a massage. (Why stop at one?)
  15. Swim in the ocean naked. (Still haven't done this one.)
  16. Get my cards read. Getting insight into my life from someone who didn't know me, who wasn't a therapist, either, was so enlightening.
  17. Learn to say no. I needed to set new limits so I wouldn't feel overwhelmed -- or guilty.
  18. Learn to say yes. On the other hand, saying yes to trying new things helped me move forward.
  19. Sleep in ridiculously late while my boys are at dad's. One benefit of my family now living in two different households.
  20. Sleep in my bed diagonally. Because I can.
  21. Watch a movie alone. This is so fun, I'd recommend it for married women, too.
  22. Flirt with strangers. They just might flirt back.
  23. Go grocery shopping with my sunglasses on. (This was for the first day or two after being separated.)
  24. Spend a day in bed crying. Get up the next day and move on with my life.
  25. Take a dance class. Dancing forces you to think one step ahead and stay light on your feet.
  26. Start a Pinterest board. Yeah, I'm that big of a dork. 
  27. Make a list of everything I want in my next boyfriend. Because hope is healthy.
  28. Date outside my type. How'd that type work out last time? Not so great, right? Yup, time to try something new.
  29. Buy and wear something stylish that makes me feel hot. Just so I remember I'm still youngish and alive.
  30. Learn to make myself happy alone. Before I start dating.
  31. Watch Hope Floats. This is the best divorce movie ever.
  32. Pay it forward and talk with a friend who just separated from her husband. I need to do this more often, but it's how I show my gratitude to the friends who helped me.
  33. Find something about my marriage to laugh about. Remember the good times, go easy on us both.
  34. Become my own handyman. I now know how to unclog the pipes under my sink! I'm not saying I like doing this, but I like knowing that I can.
  35. Spend a week in Ireland. Doing that soon!
  36. Read journals from before I was married. That helped me remember who I was before and why I got married in the first place.
  37. Eat ice cream for dinner. I did this once and was shocked at how good it made me feel. And then I never did it ever, ever again.
  38. Learn how to walk in high heels. Sexy and dignified at the same time -- it's possible. I think?
  39. Stay up all night writing. Maybe it could just be a country song? Move on and think about the role I played in my relationship.
  40. Learn to forgive. That's when I'm truly free.
  41. Get my RN license. Still working on this.
  42. Buy myself an "I'm Divorced" ring. As soon as it was finalized, friend.