This Irish woman’s dating Instagram page is the support every single gal needs!
Dating in your twenties is a minefield we’ve all traversed. The ghosting, the breadcrumbing, the ‘You up?’ texts…we’ve seen it all. But sometimes it can feel like we’re going through it alone.
Fenella Fox, a woman who’s gone through similar relationship issues realised that, although we’re all going through these problems, we may not always open up to one another our struggles. To combat those feelings of loneliness, she decided to start a dating blog ‘I Think He's Gone Weird’ to attempt to help us all feel less alone and to understand why we’re having these issues.
Focusing on dating as a twenty-something in modern Ireland, ‘I Think He's Gone Weird’ is unique because of how undeniably relatable it is. It has the potential to become the virtual best friend of every Irish twenty-something woman – a go-to when she starts questioning her worth, wondering why she's been ghosted, or needs the courage to ask her latest situationship: "Er, so what exactly are we?". Fenella shared how she came up with the idea.
‘A few months ago, I was strolling through a field near my house, wellies on my feet, dogs on their leads,’ Fenella shared. ‘It was at this point, one lovely lockdown morning, that I alerted my mum to my next venture: “I’m going to start sharing dating stories on Instagram!” I knew I wasn’t alone. I knew I wasn’t the only young woman struggling to find herself among the yellow hearts and dating’s fresh starts.’
‘How many lunch dates had I spent in the past with my friends, trying to analyse all of their dating disasters? The truth was, a lot. Many men and different dishes had joined and left the table, but we were still here trying to make sense of it all. This wasn’t a strange occurrence, dinner tables across Ireland all hold their own secrets and questions. Men’s ears are burning all across the country 24/7. ‘
Fenella’s aim with ‘I Think He’s Gone Weird’ was to unite modern women and give them a strong voice to relate to as they try to navigate dating in the digital age, and Fenella looks forward to continuing growing this community, one heartache and dodgy date at a time!
‘Heartache and stress around dating has a way of making you feel isolated, lonely, and at times, rather lost. The funny thing is, the single life is actually probably the most close-knit community out there, we just don’t speak about it enough. I wanted to raise these voices by using mine. I was romantically restless and inspired to the brim – It was time for a revolution.’
‘Whether you’re a struggling single, stuck in a half-hearted relationship, or pining after a fuckboy, you’re not the only gal sitting in bed right now stuffing your face with a Dairy Milk Caramello and fighting the urge to text him. TRUST ME. We all have phone notes we never sent him and moments that we still can’t make sense of. We all have a past, we’re all building a future, but to make magic out of both of these times, we need to accept the present for what it is. It’s temporary, so embrace everything it has to offer, even if that is you dancing around your bedroom in your comfiest knickers and most worn bra.’
Born from a passion for writing and too many unfortunate dating stories, it's a space where the modern Irish gal feels heard, understood and empowered. Fenella write pieces that are humorous and at times touching, accompanying these with funny images and striking illustrations created by her sister, Melodie. The page seems to really strike a chord with many women, letting them know they're not alone in their modern dating struggles.
‘We are all watching Netflix alone, we have all missed him, we have all been confused, we have all felt lonely, we ALL love a good aul Caramello dipped in a well-brewed cuppa.’ Fenella shared. ‘Honestly, I don’t think there’s anything lonely about this, because it sounds like we’re all in it together to me. Revolution mode = On!’
