I've spent most of my 20s as a card-carrying member of the Singles Club — an exclusive group for those of us who can't seem to settle down. Sure, there have been a few times where I had to put my membership on hold. But a few months later, I come crawling back. My friends from home, the monogamous types who have been with their mates since high school, look at my life with such a sense of wonder. To them, my stories of first dates and wild nights on the town are as entertaining as an episode of Game of Thrones, but with way less bloodshed.
Sure, there are some benefits to being single. I feel no shame flirting with a waiter to get a discount on my drinks, and I can watch all the chick flicks I want without judgment. But there are also the downsides, like not having someone to share fun adventures with and spending rainy nights curled up on the couch alone. Here, the highs and lows of being free, sexy, single, and a 20-something.
Source: HBO [1]
Pro: You get to "try the buffet," so to speak.
Source: Columbia Records [2]
Pro: You get free drinks at the bar.
Source: ABC Family [3]
Con: But not free dinners.
Source: Crackle [4]
Con: Everyone around you seems to be paired off.
Source: Fox [5]
Con: So you're forced to use online dating to meet guys.
Source: ABC Family [6]
Con: You get set up on some not-so-great dates.
Source: CBS [7]
Pro: Which give you plenty of stories to share over drinks with the girls.
Source: HBO [8]
Con: Your friends constantly remind you that you're single.
Source: NBC [9]
Con: And annoyingly reassure you that, someday, you'll find someone.
Pro: You can eye flirt with cute guys without the guilt.
Source: The CW [10]
Con: You have a permanent spot at the singles table.
Source: Universal Pictures [11]
Con: You have to learn how to play the game.
Source: MTV [12]
Con: You have no one to snuggle with at night.
Source: Warner Brothers [13]
Pro: You don't have to spend what little money you have on gifts.
Source: AMC TV [14]
Pro: You learn how to be independent.
Source: 20th Century Fox [15]
Pro: Free from distractions, you can focus on your career.
Source: 20th Century Fox [16]
Con: Your parents start to worry about you, but not in a good way.
Source: HBO [17]
Con: Sometimes you worry that you'll never find love.
Source: Fox [18]
Pro: But quickly reassure yourself that any guy would be lucky to have you.
Source: NBC [19]
Pro: You learn how to love yourself and realize you're pretty damn great!
Source: CBS [20]
So put your hands up, ladies, because being a single lady isn't that bad!
Source: Columbia Records [21]