Part mommy manifesto, part local travel blog, One Night Out chronicles my weekly night’s out. My husband and I allow each other to have one night a week where we don’t have to negotiate childcare, curfews, or anything (as long as we stay within the marriage vows). We’ve been doing this for more than seven years, and it’s become vital to both of us maintaining our own identities. It’s especially significant for me. I am a freelance writer who also does most of the child-related activities and care. I don’t get the chance to just go out and have fun on a whim.

I don’t use this time to do regular activities like a class or a book club. I like it to be unstructured with a low commitment level. That said, sometimes I see friends, sometimes I dine with people, sometimes I’m alone. Sometimes I just drive around listening to the radio.

I’ve always been the type to go out to dinner or bars or other things alone, but I’ve been empowered by my nights out to do it even more. I’m amazed at how many people won’t do this. You can! Going out alone is great. Sometimes I meet the people next to me. It’s a completely different experience and I’m really aware that you can be treated differently. That’s why I also review places I go on how I enjoy it as a single person.

Read along and create your own One Night Out. Spend some quality time with yourself.

The basic rules are:

1. Make it the same night of the week each week. That way, you don’t need to keep making arrangements.
2. Don’t use it to run errands, if at all possible. What a buzz kill to go to the pharmacy or the grocery store when you could be doing something else.
3. Do it whether you have a plan or not or a friend or not and see what happens.

Enjoy yourself!