All the single ladies, listen up! With single women rapidly becoming the majority, it is high time to stop feeling singled out. On Singles Day, let’s celebrate our freedom and independence by sharing all those solo milestones that make us go: ‘You’ve got this!’.

I love to travel by train. Besides being sustainable, it allows me to pretend I’m a character in an Agatha Christie novel. ‘Lingerie Tycoon Dame Dekkers’; doesn’t that sound grand? In the spirit of the Golden Age of Travel, I refuse to pack lightly. For a dame, excess luggage equals elegance. For years, my partner insisted on carrying my suitcases, and I never objected. It became a pattern, as so often happens in relationships. Shortly after I became single, I decided to take a fabulous solo train journey to celebrate my newfound freedom. Dressed in tailored tweed and high-heeled boots, I showed up on the platform with my usual mountain of luggage, only to realize that as a proud, single woman, I now had to schlepp everything onboard myself!

‘Damn being a single dame!’ I muttered to myself. For as much as I cherished my independence, missing my train would seriously suck. At that moment, I heard the train whistle. It was now or never! Squatting down with a perfectly straight back (years of Pilates), I lifted 2 suitcases onto the train (years of weight training). ‘I’ve got this!’, I hooted inwardly, barely suppressing an un-ladylike fist pump. As I carried the rest onboard, I realized that to travel light in life, I didn’t need to pack light. I just needed to recognize my own strength.

For most of your life, you are in relationships. With your lovers, your family, your pet. It’s how you learn and grow; it’s how you shape yourself. But when you find yourself single, you should realize it’s so much more than just being in between partners. It is your chance to prioritize and pursue a relationship with YOU! Unapologetically! Embrace it while it lasts; it may be over before you know it. Sure, there are always the setbacks of single life. Dresses that refuse to unzip, 70-kg suitcases that need to be dragged onboard. Situations both slapstick-funny and infuriatingly frustrating.

On Singles Day, let’s share and celebrate these moments. Let’s laugh together. Because as I learned on that train platform that day, once you tap into your inner strength, solo challenges become solo milestones. The final, empowering steps towards true freedom. Having said that, if a handsome, white-gloved steward insists on carrying my luggage, this dame definitely won’t say no!

Happy Singles Day! We’ve got this!