We Hosted a “Sell Your Friend” Singles Night...
- Tuba
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
...and it was exactly the kind of whimsy adulthood needs.
There is nothing quite like bringing whimsy, wonder, and laughter into our lives as adults.
I’ve always approached life with a certain childishness that is now being fueled by having grown-up money and friends who rarely need convincing to join my latest side quest. I say yes to adventures and random requests for fun. I collect stories (and people), and I genuinely believe that joy deserves to be created intentionally (and that it also comes in the morning, as per that Kirk Franklin banger and my Baptist upbringing). Since moving to Kenya, that spirit has only grown stronger thanks to my in-built best friend, Caía, who rarely needs much convincing to turn an unhinged idea into a real one. If anything, she is the unhinged one that needs to be tamed.
Our latest idea? A “Sell Your Friend” singles night.
The planning happened quickly. Many of us are in a season of life where we’re single but not lacking in love. One of the greatest gifts of my life right now is the sisterhood I’ve built. We hike together, dance together, go out together, cheer each other on, dream out loud about the futures we’re creating and basically do life together.
This event felt like a natural extension of that.
The premise was simple: bring a friend you think is an absolute catch but whom, for some reason, you would never date yourself.
There were only a few rules.
Your friend had to be genuinely single and emotionally available, not “Nairobi single” (if you know, you know).
They had to be someone you genuinely admire.
And they had to possess the kind of qualities you’d want someone you care about to experience in a partner.
People took the assignment seriously.
We had PowerPoint presentations. We had a timekeeper. We had five minutes per person to make the case for why their friend deserved love. (Only three pairs managed to stick to the allocated time🤣). I took the assignment so seriously that I brought a notebook and took actual notes throughout the evening. Apparently, this is not standard behaviour at a singles event. I disagree, but who cares! It helped my flirting game so much!🤣🤣
Thirteen women brought thirteen men into a room buzzing with anticipation, nervous laughter, and curiosity. The ages ranged from 26 to 41, and the energy was hilarious, wholesome, and hopeful.
There is something surprisingly intimate about publicly championing your friends.
To stand up and say, “This person is kind. This person is dependable. This person deserves to be loved well.”
What a beautiful thing. It called to mind the words that the great Oladapo Daniel Oyebanjo AKA D’banj said in the intro to his 2008 hit song “Don’t get it twisted, love is a beautiful thing.”
As the evening unfolded, numbers were exchanged, Instagram handles were shared, coffee dates, next meetups, parties and hikes were discussed. A few connections sparked immediately (hello, England and Bolivia 🤣😅), while others felt more like the beginning of a slow burn.
The best part for me was watching adults choose playfulness and genuine conversation, and watching friends advocate for one another with humour, affection, teasing and sincerity.
Did Caía and I meet anyone special? You’ll have to wait and see. Perhaps the next update will come in the form of wedding invitations. For now, we are enjoying being unhinged and creating the WhatsApp group of all who attended and calling it #Weddings2027
Comments