Craving a bit of Turkiye

One time crafting classes can be so much fun! Whether you’re flying solo or bringing someone with you it’s a nice way to change things up & also a good chance to try something new. I stumbled upon a fun looking craft class that teaches you how to make Turkish mosaic lamps. You picked out your lamp prior and they had everything ready & waiting for you when you arrived. The atmosphere was really selling the Turkish experience- the event teachers were from Türkiye, Turkish music playing in the background, Turkish lamps displayed for examples & inspiration, they even passed out Turkish delights & hot Turkish apple tea! If you haven’t tried Turkish delight (or Lokum) it’s an interesting sweet. There’s a generation of us that watched Narnia the lion the witch & the wardrobe & in this movie we are taught that Turkish delight is so good you’d even be willing to give your family up for some!  They come in lots of different flavors while some even include nuts. I’ve never been keen on the idea of pistachio but I was there for the FULL experience so I took a chance on some pomegranate & pistachio lokum & I’m so glad I did because it was actually good! It was gummy (but not like those carmel Christmas candies that get stuck in your teeth and should absolutely be BANNED.. seriously why are those a thing??) but it was definitely an interesting taste and texture. They are normally shaped into squares and covered with powdered sugar. While not family giving away worthy (unless you just want to) they are still good & an interesting experience. 

Lamp examples/ Inspiration

Let’s back up though to when I walked in. First of all a bit of forewarning, when you start doing things solo it really throws people off. When I told them I was there alone they had absolutely no idea where to seat me. I reassured them I was fine and chose a chair at the end of the table. Even though I‘m not opposed to meeting people (I’m for sure an extrovert through and through) I also am trying to embrace doing things by myself without the expectation of having someone to talk to or experience things with. That being said a sigh of relief came over them when another girl flying solo walked in and they knew exactly where to put her… in the lonely singles corner because there’s no way we want to actually do this event alone! lol. While I understand the harmless & thoughtful attempt I did appreciate that her and I were on the same page. We chatted some, we were both 2 recently single women around the same age branching out to become comfortable doing things on our own without the need of others. 

Now, while trying things solo was my main mission, my side mission was harder because while yes I have no problems going to do things alone I do however have a problem of wanting to connect and befriend everyone. Asking for numbers and trying to hang out again. I’ve been described by a girl I went to college with as “kandee’s like that stray dog you feed once and then she never leaves you alone.”…ouch (she wasn’t a very happy person) but of course that stuck with me because honestly there was some truth to it. I tend to invite people to do stuff all the time mainly because I know what it’s like to be left out but when you constantly invite people they begin to think you’re annoying… weirdly enough I’ll see the same people post about being lonely. My ex husband said that saying of “I cross oceans for people that won’t jump puddles for me”. So while on this journey to enjoy being single I decided I no longer will force friendships. I’m learning to live in the moment & enjoy it for what it is. If they want to connect I’m all for it but if they don’t say anything then it’s a good lesson to let go.

Back to the LAMPS!

Just in case you have high expectations I’m going to need those to plummet…real fast and real low. Ya girl is NOT crafty… like at all. My mom got the Pinterest success talents -while I make Pinterest FAILS look amazing when compared to what I do. I would say one of the BEST things about this journey has been letting go of my desire for things to be perfect because otherwise I’d just spend everyday crying at my shortcomings & I don't have time for that.

Okay for real back to the LAMPS this time…

They gave us some design layouts so we could practice putting our pieces on and while I did make a cute design I remembered real quickly that cute & orderly is NOT ME. I am destruction and chaos soooo I just started slapping pieces on, here and there to see what it would end up like. No pattern or any hopes of beauty in mind. It was really fun! To be in the moment fully with no stress of trying to make it last longer than the 2 hours it was booked for. Meanwhile one table over, this girl in her 20’s was having a quiet meltdown because hers wasn’t absolutely perfect and she stopped 30 mins in and decided to give up. Y’all hers really didn’t look bad at all and it just reinforced my thankfulness of absolutely not giving a shit and enjoying the experience. Granted I know that some people can’t help it because it really is a mental thing but for the most part a lot of us are just too hard on ourselves and crave perfection.

 LET THAT SHIT GOOOOOOO! 

 Back to me & the other single girl across from me- After chatting and encouraging each other and being thankful that neither one of us was crafty, the end of program came and in this moment my extroverted tendencies began to scream “lets hang out she was fun to talk to, how mean can I be to not want to connect.” But then she got up, said her goodbyes and left and that was it…. the moment had passed. I sat there taking it all in, the entire experience, checking in to see how I felt & I can honestly say I think the event was better with the mindset of knowing it wasn’t meant to last. I wasn’t there to make lasting connections but instead to just enjoy the brief ones I had. I think the night was a lot more fun knowing it would be over in 2 hours and then on to something new and different. 

For those that actually go out and have hobbies by themselves, they really do understand the magic and importance of these kinds of moments. Not just sitting at home alone or doing chores alone as you go about the daily routines but going out to make brief connections while being comfortable with your own solitude and not forcing friendships, not trying to hold on and control the situation to make it last, but just living purely in the moment & enjoying it to its fullest.

That is definitely something I am craving more of....