Anatomy of this Outfit: Romper – Forever 21 | Moto Jacket – Nasty Gal


Last week, I came to the sickening realization that I have become the epitome of the very thing that I loathed. I, yes I, have become a walking Berlin stereotype: a late 20-something-year-old adult-child artist shying away from any kind of emotional attachment which could result in a serious relationship. I went from the girl bitching and moaning about the dire dating scene in Berlin due to all the “Lost Boys” in the real world’s equivalent to “Never-Neverland,” who all seemed to be wrapped up in a world of sex, drugs, and 24-hour-party people, refusing to commit to anything that at all resembled a steady relationship, to responding with “let’s just chill” when the opposite sex asks me the status of our relationship.

To be fair, while Berlin is oversaturated with commitment-phobes, there are still plenty of happy couples here, and although my personal track record for healthy relationships is definitely wanting, I have still been able to find partners who were interested in having serious relationships during my time here in Berlin.

It is also not as if my “disapproval” for lost boys was a question of morality. I was never a serial monogamist looking down my long nose at those who serial dated. After all, I have been single in Berlin before and definitely enjoyed the freedom of choice (Devo reference!). I am also definitely not one to judge the way others choose to go about their love lives because I’m just happy when other people are living their lives in a way that makes them happy. All I am saying is that in the past when I thought about my future – even during times of crazy Beyonce-level independent woman-ness – that future revolved heavily around some romantic relationship playing a major role in my future life.

I felt this was the part of my personality that was rooted in my American upbringing. You know, grand dreams of a white wedding (Billy Idol reference! Seriously, how many 80s music references can I pack into one blog post?!), going to the pumpkin patch with the kids in Autumn, and doing all that other family-friendly stuff Martha Stewart and the Girl Scouts would approve of. I found myself wondering if I was going to be able to have the husband and kids in a city where such things were more than slightly anathema to the majority of it’s inhabitants. As I got older each year, I would even occasionally think about the logistics of making my domestic goals a reality in lieu of the silent and invisible ticking time bomb that was made up of my uterus and other lady parts essential to baby making, which all seemed to be telling me that I would have to get knocked up kinda soon in order to be “like a cool mom, not a regular mom.” (Mean Girl references 12 years later? When relevant, always. Sorrynotsorry.)

But as I said, somehow during the last month or so, all that has shifted. I’m that aloof individual at the skate park, club, or park, shirking emotional commitment in favor of living a life just for me. Which is kind of funny because just a few months ago, while I was briefly seeing this guy in Leipzig, I was half hoping half expecting the guy to wife me then and there. While I later realized that although this dude was extremely kind and fun to be around, my intense feelings of wanting to be in a relationship with him was more down the fact that I had not had anyone treat me with such kindness in this context for the longest time and was confusing human decency for love.

So in the end, I’m happy I didn’t get what I thought I wanted 3 months ago. After all, things really do happen for a reason, don’t they? Because at this very moment, as I am typing the words you are now reading, although the thought of being in a relationship sounds nice in theory, I have been categorically opposed to them since Leipzig. To be clear, this change of heart has nothing to do with the individual in Leipzig, I just do not feel the need to attach myself to anyone right now, nor do I feel the immediacy of my impending old age weighing down on me in any way. Besides, it’s not like a woman’s fallopian tubes turn inwards on themselves, shrivel up, and crumble when she turns 30. (At leat I hope not, but I’ll let you know next year…)

Were I to try to psychoanalyze myself, I would say this: the guy in Leipzig was important in that he helped me fully emotionally get over my ex-boyfriend. But now that I am no longer emotionally attached to anyone from my past, I don’t exactly feel the urge to get all emotionally attached to someone from my present. And to be honest, I’m not exactly sure why. Because I am definitely in the right healthy headspace to be a good partner to someone else.

But for some reason, the thought of getting involved with another human being on that level just seems like so much damned work. Could it be that in some respect, although I have no emotional attachments to anyone from my past, the memories of those unhealthy relationships are still haunting me in the present, causing me to not allow anyone to get close or allow myself to get close to anyone else? Maybe. Or maybe it’s not nearly that dramatic. Maybe I’m just 29, bored, confused, and aloof. Or maybe it’s a combination of it all.

Right now, tying myself down to one other human being seems daunting. And this has nothing to do with some inability to be monogamous, or a need to date multiple people at once, as I’m really just spending time with friends, getting my career in order, and being a sloth in a human’s body in the left over hours of my days. It’s not deep life-changing stuff, and sometimes I feel like a lot of my day just consists of going through the motions, but I’m content.

With that being said, the mind and the heart have one thing in common – they can both be very very fickle things. And as the summer months roll into fall, I have a feeling that the idea of cuddling up on the sofa with someone other than my two cats or myself is going to become more and more appealing – in fact, I found myself thinking this the other night. I just can’t guarantee that I’ll want that contact to go anywhere farther, emotionally speaking.

What I do know is that I can always guarantee honesty. I can guarantee it to myself (in so far as I actually know from a conscious perspective what I am feeling and thinking) and I can guarantee it to whomever else crosses my path. And I feel like as long as I am able to do this, I do not have to really worry about the catalyst for my recent change of heart (no pun intended. JK, pun definitely intended). Because after all if I can’t even seem to understand what the numbers on a toaster coorespond to (temperature or degree of toastiness?!?!), how in the hell am I supposed to understand the inner machinations of my heart and mind?


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Stay conscious, Rae

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Rae Tilly

Rae the EIC of LFB and YEOJA Magazine. She is also a photographer and social media influencer.

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  • I agree, honesty is key. I find myself being pushed into certain patterns from what other people expect of me, that I am blinded and really think I HAVE TO do/achieve something anytime soon. have been single for years now and the current relationship is very time-consuming, since I’ve built an independant life in my entire 20s up to now (I’m 27). I think it’s great that you’re not losing yourself in a relationship because you’re afraid, but rather you’re chosing yourself first – if I got that right?

  • Melisa

    cool as always girl, love this outfit (and your hair, duh) I gotta agree with you on serious relationship, and yes honesty is number one!
    http://www.rebelrebel.co | Bloglovin x

  • your hairrrr omg <3 and yes, i'm amen-ing to everything you wrote here. i couldn't write it better myself! and your photos look more crisp here, i wonder why. i love everything <3

    xx http://tanaditya.co.vu

  • I was just reading today that Jennifer Aniston is 49 and still says that children might be a thing in her future, so you are in no hurry :) Enjoy your single life, you learn so much from it!

    Lii
    https://byliil.wordpress.com/

  • Lots of things to think about. I’m almost a year out of my first serious relationship and have become very complacent and happy in my solitude. I’d like to start dating again, but inertia is so real and I keep putting it off. I never felt insecure about my relationship status until I saw that so many people in my first year class were married, engaged, or in long-term relationships. I also get nervous thinking that the stakes can only get higher, but that maybe I’m just afraid of getting to know a person on that level.

  • Interesting post! Enjoy every minute an when the time is right you will be the one :) All the best!
    http://www.maggiekrol.com
    Xoxo, Maggie

  • I think it’s interesting that you mention the part of your personality that is rooted in your American upbringing because it made me think of the current situation with women. Despite the advancement of women in the workforce and their careers, there remains the notion that there has to be a choice between family, marriage, and one’s career. The choice implies that we can’t “have it all” and that “all” includes being in a committed relationship, that the penultimate happiness culminates in marriage/kids. I wish there was more acceptance that a relationship does not need to be part of personal completeness. This brings me to how powerful a statement it is that you’ve made by not feeling the immediacy of “old age” and being content with not searching for emotional commitment. It is completely alright for life to not revolve a romantic relationship and I wish there were more of this conversation colloquially.

    Alyse (J.X.L.) | Lumière & Lens

  • Esther Imbula

    I really loved reading this post, it’s actually refreshing to see someone who thinks the way I do and for that I BOW TO YOU. My last serious relationship was exactly 3 years ago and till this day I haven’t ‘dated’ anyone, I don’t know why but after that break-up I went on a phase where I turned my mind 360°and got to thinking like one of the guys (if ya knooow what I mean) and it’s worked great for me. But as soon as I feel as though I’m getting attached, I run out of there like a frightened dog. Anyway what I want to say is that there’s timing for everything and everything happens for a reason, all these so-called relationships we see on social media aren’t all that, most of them lack quality/substance so there shouldn’t be a reason for us single ladies doing our thang to be all #relationshipgoals wishing and all that comes with it.

    Oh and I love your blog and Berlin’s one of my favourite cities.x

  • i love this romper so so much! i think you have styled it in such a great way

    xo Sarah
    Absolutely Sarah | Bloglovin | COMPETITON

  • I am in my first, and so far only, real relationship right now. Together for admittedly 3 turbulent years, with some great ups and some terrible downs, but still together. Still in love and still holding tight. But as a first relationship, I’m aware of what will happen and I’m okay with that. Especially since I’m studying in the UK and he’s staying here. Neither of us are willing to do a long distance relationship and we are aware of the end. I am just happy to know we are trying to make the best of our situation and spend as much time of we have together. Even if it’s just three weeks.

    Love is a fickle thing, and relationships are so fucking hard (Mind the language). Relationships are what we define them to be, whether a long relationship or just a fling from Leipzig. I don’t mind being attached with someone romantically, because that’s what it is. It’s romantic, it’s love but it won’t overpower me. I still want to be an individual worthy of my own success.

    TLDR; Rae, you bae. And I love this post <3 <3 <3

    xx   BASH   |   go   say     H E Y   B A S H

  • Adele Miner

    I love this post, thank you for your honesty. Your outfit is gorgeous too! I think your blog is great and you seem so lovely also, let me know if you would like to follow each other and keep in contact! x

    adelelydia.blogspot.com

  • Ellese Launer

    Really loved this post and your honesty. It has been a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately. I am turning 30 in like five months and for some reason my mind goes into over drive! I want a family and kids to do all those cutesy holiday stuff with. But at the very same moment and breathe, I am totally not ready for it. I am loving being independent and not having the long list of responsibilities that comes with kids. It is a relief knowing everything happens for a reason, and that there is a timeline for everything. I don’t have to rush it. Just enjoy the ride. Thanks for sharing dear! Xo, Ellese

    Rock.Paper.Glam.

  • I constantly question toaster numbers too (is it a standard to all toasters or do they only relate to that toaster?!). I see so much of myself in your words, except the children thing, if your fallopian tubes do combust i’ll send you mine, for free and everything. I’ve been seeing (dating? i hate that word) for awhile, and what i’ve noticed is he is very different to previous partners, and it’s good and i feel good with him. What is very new is being in the moment, instead of rushing in all guns blazing, we don’t live together, we’re a thing but not boyfriend/girlfriend (I don’t think).
    I am totally down with how commitment is daunting sometimes that transient space is fucking magical though
    erin | words and pictures

  • Sophie Lee

    Love how you mix that floral with leather jacket <3

    xoxo, Cool style for men

  • Tech Zone

    wonderfull collection cool money bags too.