I haven't been in the position to take a trip with friends of SO in quite sometime. With our lives getting business. Weddings have been one of the few places I have an opportunity to connect with some now distant friends.

This year it looks like I will either be flying solo or skipping it all together. And honestly, the last option really doesn't feel much like an options since it is something that needs to be done for my sanity as well. But taking a trip by yourself is somehow seen as either; something guys do (not you) or risky (for a single woman). One question has been going through my head: why?

Why is it more risky for me to take a couple of days to get away than when a guy would do it?

It feels to me like a knee jerk reaction more than anything else.

For example the people who made these statements traveled abroad for a year in high school. Explain why that was not risky when going to the coast for a long weekend is.

The thing is that they can't offer anything but naive argumentation.

Should that change my plans?

No. Why would it?

The expectation from some that I need to defend my plans seems strange. At the same time it is interesting that it gets such a strong reaction from people; which forced me to reassess my opinion about them.

While I am not flying to some distant resort or taking a cruise I am going to be taking some time for myself this summer, regardless of what people think about me.

One thing is certain – it won't be spent on the sofa.

I never really have a lot of luck with the reading challenges. The reason I fail is because time is short and I end up miss hitting my goals. Or I find the material which was select lacking and since I have so little time I end up picking something up entirely different.

I am doing the challenge for the seventh time now, mainly to spur myself on a bit, but I have now had little time to read in January, and whenever a message appears and greets me with something like: "you are X books behind schedule," I get slightly nervous.

What surprises me about the challenge every year are the people who set their target at 1 book, and then successfully finish their challenge on the first or second of January. What's the point behind it? Why only 1 book, if you can tick this off on the very first day? Isn't the point of this challenge to push yourself a bit? Not that I have every completed a challenge but I feel like I need to do more than one book.

Some might need the motivation. If it helps motivate you go for it, however ridiculous it may be, also annoys me; That's why this year simply challenge set to three books and finished out. It isn't like I don't read enough anyway without having to be motivated by such a challenge; Also, I don't know what to seem pretentious; I have to constantly up my goal so that I am not ready after only a few months but it is easy to get behind when you have so many obligations.

Regardless, I actually like the idea of the challenge. It is a nice way to interact with other people that enjoy reading. But I think it's a shame when I read some really thick books and am therefore far behind my "goal." It is more important to me that I read regularly in everyday life rather than show off. And I see a lot of people doing that. It can be hard finding a nice balance though to complete the challenge. Yet, it really doesn't matter. If you like reading then it really doesn't matter how many books it will end up.

This year I have finished enough to not feel too behind at the moment. If I'm still good a month from now is another story.