I have a specific Therapy Walk route, which is especially lovely in nice weather. On this walk, I pass by what Central Park calls “Sheep Meadow,” a giant field that gets so packed on nice weather days that you can barely see the grass.
You’ll find this lawn full any day of the week. Wondering if these people have day jobs is beside the point. The crowds make me happy! Seeing friends with a bottle of rosé on a Thursday crowded on a blanket is synonymous with a New York summer. I used to do this with friends in college in Washington Square Park. But I haven’t done this in years—I don’t even know who I would do this with. And so, after my initial happiness to see so many people out and about, I get a wave of loneliness.
As you can see, I live on the Upper West Side, a beautiful neighborhood that sometimes feels a bit isolated from my close friends. Towards the end of Covid, in 2021, I moved there with my ex-boyfriend from Williamsburg, Brooklyn to be closer to his grad school. After the breakup, I stayed in the apartment because it’s conveniently close to my parents who could watch my then very ill dog, Bow, when I was working. It made sense! But Bow passed last September, and I am now in this same apartment, one that saw a relationship end and a pet pass.
Also, like a lot of us thirty-somethings, many of my friends have also moved away or have romantic partners and/or kids. Park blanket rosé drinking would take a kind of coordination that it didn't in the past. And while I am usually very happy to be alone, watching scenes like the one at Sheep Meadow, I'm reminded that summer, though the most fun, can also be the loneliest season.
I don't know if this sentiment resonates with you. But I do have a way to channel my loneliness. And—you guessed it!—it involves getting dressed.
The Public “Runway Show Technique”
When I lived in Williamsburg during Covid and felt aimless, I would put on the most fun outfit I could and go for a walk. Being outside with my creation instantly made me feel more like myself. It was a public proclamation of my identity, which often felt lost during the days of quarantine.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0deece04-ec53-4281-b801-b3d8b48c1196_2200x1350.jpeg)
Today, when I feel like I'm alone or losing myself here on the Upper West Side, I will do that same thing: I put on a little dress, slip on summer shoes that will sustain 15K steps, add all the accessories my heart desires, and go on my walk.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79cdf71f-c4b1-4db5-88e4-620946258fdd_2200x1350.jpeg)
Below are some items that are instant mood-boosters and also fully appropriate for a Therapy Walk on a hot summer day. To be seen, or not to be seen. I found items appropriate for all three Silhouettes, of course!
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff41b820-1c8c-4f65-bb58-cb99b110fd8b_1600x1887.jpeg)
Who actually wants to sit on a blanket?! I prefer to get my steps in any way.
See ya Sunday!
xo,
Eliz