Breaking up is never easy. It doesn’t matter if you are the dumper or the dumped, because pain and heartbreak are inevitable when a relationship ends. And thus, begins the process of healing – by getting rid of things they gave you, locking yourself in your room with tubs of ice-cream or making a tinder profile and drowning yourself in alcohol. But even when a relationship is long over, you find yourself doing things your ex taught you or introduced you to. Well, we certainly do too. Read on to know the one, nice or nasty, habit POPxo women have held onto from a past relationship and made it a part of their life.
1. My Love For Travelling
My ex was my high-school sweetheart. I practically grew up with him. While there were many things we picked up from each other (more nasty than nice) during the course of our 4-year relationship, one thing I can’t thank him enough for is his love of travelling that he passed on to me. By that, I mean spontaneous trips – buying bus tickets on the spot, not using google maps but traditional maps (which means you never make it to your planned destination but somehow still ended up somewhere nice). So with him, I travelled to Shimla, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Boston, New York, Singapore, and Bombay. If he ever ends up reading this – it’s all thanks to your push and I wouldn’t change a thing about it! -Vatsala Devki Vats, Branded Content Writer.
2. A Liking For Rick And Morty
One of my ex-boyfriends introduced me to the show Rick and Morty. I am usually not the kind of person who watches animated TV Shows (except maybe The Simpsons) so it was a fun little change. We used to watch it together and now I watch it on my own. I am glad I picked up this habit because what else would I do on my weekends? – Isheeta Sharma, Junior Lifestyle Editor
3. A Devil-May-Care Attitude
Not every ex-boyfriend has to be associated with bad memories or nasty habits. Some of them do actually help make you a better person. There was a point in time when, due to a lot of changes, I was a little insecure about my life, my friends, and my career. This insecurity was taking over my mind and I was falling deeper into the pit of self-doubt. The guy I was dating at the time, taught me that no matter how hard I tried, I would trip up a few times and that’s just life. It’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s just about being happy with who you are. A shout out to him for the devil-may-care attitude that has stayed with me long after we parted ways. Oh and a love for Depaul’s Ice Tea as well! – Srishti Gupta, Senior Lifestyle Writer
4. Better sooner than later
Spending a long time with a person you like, consciously or subconsciously, makes you pick up their habits. Maybe that’s what makes you more compatible and comfortable over the years. My ex-boyfriend and I used to go on a lot of dates and I would always be the one coming late. I would take my sweet time getting ready, calling the taxi and he would never complain. Over the time, the guilt of making him wait kept increasing. So, I started making a conscious effort to reach the place just in time or 5 minutes before it. I follow that rule till date and hate making people wait for me. – Saachi Bamba, Editorial Coordinator.
5. The fact that you can’t be friends with your ex
I dated him for 4 years and we had everything was great. Things didn’t work out somehow and we decided to call it quits. However, five years is a long time and it was hard so we tried to stay in touch. For two years, we went back and forth trying to maintain the ‘friendship’. It was not one of the wisest decisions and we were struggling to keep the friendship alive. Finally, I came to a conclusion that exes cannot be friends and that has been my mantra for life. Even though I have had many such propositions from guys I’ve dated after him, I refuse to be friends with them because I don’t think it’s possible. –Krithika Kumar, Senior Features Writer
6. Get Moving!
I have an excellent choice (if I may say so myself), so the last guy I dated is still one of my favourite people. Even though we were in a messy long-term relationship, we managed to end things amicably. He’s a health nut, so over the course of the 5 years, that trait rubbed off on me. There was this one time when I was whining about work and how I was too sleepy to function. He told me to do a quick work out in office – squats, jumping jacks or just jump around. Whatever I had space and time for. I was instantly refreshed and ready to go back to work. Till date, whenever I need to hit refresh – there is nothing that helps me more! –Nitya Uppal, Assistant Editor
7. Livin’ The Go-Getter Life
There really is no substitute for hard work. The more energy you pour into your passion, the more rewarding it becomes for you. My ex-boyfriend knew that. (That’s probably one of the main reasons why we got together in the first place!) He’d motivate and encourage me to take up every opportunity that came my way. Be it an internship, an NGO event, a social gathering, he wanted me to show up at every function! His philosophy was simple – you never know who you’d cross paths with. Take the plunge, meet new faces, exchange ideas and marry your hobby (Then it wouldn’t feel like a…job). Even though we’ve parted ways for good, a part of him has rubbed off on me. I now look at every challenge as an opportunity and not an obstacle. – Sharon Alphonso, Beauty Writer.
8. A Love For Stand-up Comedy
That was our thing. When life got hectic and weary, we used to dash to the nearest comedy club and have stand-up comedians cheer us up in an instant. Because I am a writer, anything that inspires my imagination finds a way into my work. All thanks to him, I found my voice as an acerbic, self-deprecating person who’d like her readers to let out a relatable chuckle or two while reading her work. Even though we are not exactly friends anymore, I am grateful to him for helping me getting to know myself in a much deeper way. –Amrita Paul, Junior Lifestyle Editor
GIFs: Giphy
