It used to be, when I got overwhelmed and needed a little bit of alone time, I’d head to whatever kitschy, hipster bar was nearby and just chill out. Every bar is it’s own unique organism – the clientele and the bar tenders were all different – but no matter what they all could make me a rum&diet. And once I got that rum&diet, nothing could hold me back. It was inevitable that I’d make friends as it just so happens that alcohol is great at dissolving social hindrances. And the power of being a young woman alone at a bar is pretty great.

But now, here I am, newly single, and I’ve given up drinking for the time being. So what the hell do I do now? Well, that’s part of the reason why I’ve started this project – to push me out of my comfort zone, and to figure out who I am… sober.

Sounds awful.

A few weeks ago, when I had that familiar feeling – like I was going to crawl out of my skin – and I didn’t want to be home, and my plans weren’t until later, and I’d already spent 2 hours at Starbucks, I had no idea where this new Jordan was destined to go. And going to bars alone when you’re sober is creepy in my opinion. (Why would I go with a clear head and hangout with strangers who’ve openly given into an alcohol-induced haze?)

My plans were in Los Feliz, all the way across town from where I lived, so I headed that way and figured I’d find something. Worse case scenario I’d kill a tank of gas. But I realized that the Griffith Observatory was open and just waiting for me to go explore it. I didn’t really make any friends like I would have if I’d headed to a little bar, but I did make better friends with myself.

The Observatory – this serene, massive, white building, built to connect individuals with the greatness of the universe, and positioned in the middle of a park. A perfect place to quiet my brain.