Shanghai is a great city to meet people.

You never know who you gonna run into at the corner dumpling shop ( insert name: Moritz, Oliver), who’s gonna open your taxi door outside of your compound on a Tuesday night ( insert name: Diego). Pain Chaud is where I met my favorite Arabian Habibi ( insert name: Ahmed ), and I found my “ best hello ” one summer afternoon in an art gallery event ( insert name: anonymity ).

Fast forward to four years later, while Shanghai still is as exciting, I found myself more and more staying in and having quality time with myself. Be it an age thing, the weather factor, or whatever it is that makes it harder and harder for me to put on a dress and go for a 3 hour long, 6 people above social event.

As much as I want to be like Olivia Palermo, tres chic even when walks her dog, I can often be found in PJs and an overcoat while walking my two monsters in downtown Jing’an. Since I had the magic power to keep all the exes out of the country, there’s nothing left to worry about, I figured.

That being said, when I do want to spend a day at home, I would still get up ( sometimes even earlier than weekdays ) and get showered. Strangely it’s much easier for me to put on a silk dress when I know I don’t have to go places. This Realisation Par dress is called “The Juliet,” so naturally I have to have it.
Play my forever favorite Sade album, sit in the home office for some emails or return to bed for some classic reading. I will be in my happiest habitat. Even my two little monsters would get the memo and quietly sleep on my slippers (nope, not in any of the three beds that belong to them).

Time alone becomes much needed and necessary this time of the year when your daily routine involves a lot of events and cocktails already. You will have to take yourself to the sidewalk, hit pause, and reflect. Tell me, through the martini glass, are you really happy?

With just 14 days left to its grand finale, I’m slowly making peace with 2018. I emotionally invested so much in this year that in some level I can’t wait for it to be over already, but I know it will be “ a year to remember,” a year that I will look back to again and again when it’s actually gone.

Here is to Saturdays at home, the quality time with yourself. No matter how great that club looked like in your friend’s Instagram story, you are still truly happy with staying in.

What is that word again?
Oh, JOMO.

Photo by Xiaoyu shot in my casa.