High Maintenance Women

High maintenance women seem to be a category of women I love to hate.  I guess I just don't understand these types of women.  One of my friends (a girl) once accused me of being high maintenance for having Coach handbags.  She also said that her boyfriend is lucky he'll never have to buy her one, implying that my boyfriend at the time felt he needed to purchase expensive things for me to keep me happy.  Excuuuuse me?  This is far from the truth.  All my expensive purses have been purchased by no one other than myself and I was really offended that she'd assume something like that about me.  I don't want a boyfriend to buy me expensive things, I don't want anyone to buy me expensive things.  I like getting these things for myself, its kind of like an accomplishment or a reward to myself for something.  Everyone buys themselves designer birthday and Christmas gifts, right?  Even when they really shouldn't spend the money on it?  That's all beside the point. 

High maintenance women confuse me because I don't understand at what point in their lives they became so demanding.  I've heard countless stories from my guy friends about these women, and am thankful that I've never been inclined to do such outlandish things like them.  One of my ex-boyfriends could probably tell you I'm high maintenance, but I really think a simple phone call or a text at some point in a day or two isn't too much to ask for a committed relationship.  Hell, I don't even want to see a boyfriend every day.  Maybe 2-3 times a week, maximum.  But you could at least get in touch with me so I know you still exist!

What baffles me more than the demanding women are the men that actually put up with it.  I don't understand these people.  When a guy friend bitches endlessly about his girlfriend, I think it's probably time to part ways.  I understand, you have feelings for them, maybe you love them, but if you have to complain about their actions behind their backs and can't bring these problems to their attention, then what's the point?  Isn't communication supposed to be the most important part in successful relationships?

Obviously, I'm not one to go around touting relationship advice, since I've never even been in one for an entire year, but I still like to think I have at least a tiny bit of common sense on the topic. 

Example:  One of my friends has this girlfriend, who has, "gotten better," with her demands.  It's a distance thing, and he used to have to lie to her when he was going out with his friends sometimes because (it seemed) she wanted him to stay home if she was staying home a few hours away.  That doesn't make sense to me.  Just go out, do your thing, and text me when you get home to say goodnight or something.  She also doesn't seem to like us very much, she thinks we're mean.  I'll give that one to her, we tease each other nonstop and sometimes it can get a little draining.  But in the end, it's just teasing and she can't take the heat.  There was one time that she was his date to a wedding and we were completely turned off by something she did...every time he said something she found to be a little unacceptable, she'd literally put her hand over his mouth to stop him from talking.  I have a feeling he's himself around us, and someone else around her.  I can promise you that any boyfriend I've ever had in my life thus far would dump me if I pulled something like that.

I guess I'll just have to accept that some guys prefer being bossed around and like giving in to every demand some of these chicks make, but I hope that I never meet such a pushover guy like that.  Shouldn't everything be 50/50?  Equal amounts of give and take on both sides? 

Engagements, Babies, and Houses...Oh My!!!

The past few weeks have been pretty exciting!  They've been filled with exciting news left and right.  First, my brother and his wife are going to have a baby!  This will be my first little niece or nephew, and I'm ready to spoil the baby ASAP, I just wish I didn't have to wait 8 more months!  It's weird for me to think of my brother being a father, but I know he's going to be a good one.  Maybe not as good as our dad, because we have the best dad in the whole world, but he'll be a close second!

Also, two of my friends just got engaged!  I'm really happy for both of them, and I'm excited to celebrate their big days when the time rolls around to it.  However, me being me, I'm a little jealous.  It's strange because one friend I'm more jealous of than the other.

The first friend that got engaged I knew it was coming, but the second kind of blind sided me.  It's the second friend I'm a little more jealous of.  I've known that friend for most of my life, and she's my best friend.  We're really similar as far as our sense of humor, we can tell each other anything and everything and expect no judgment.  I can ask her something and get an honest opinion or advice, and I do the same for her.  She's been with her now-fiance for a few years and they've talked about marriage before.  She's always wanted to wait until she's finished with all her school endeavors, and she recently applied to grad school.

I guess my jealousy lies in the part of life that makes me feel like I'm being left behind.  While everyone has been out meeting their boyfriends/girlfriends/fiances/husbands/wives, I've been saving all my money to travel around Europe.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade in those travel experiences for being a wife and stuff, but I guess I wish I had focused more in the past on finding a guy that is as in love with traveling as I am.

I've been criticized in the past by a few friends for spending my money on traveling, and an ex of mine told me it was a total waste of time and money, but I just feel that there has to be a guy out there that wants to take a yearly trip to Europe, and after we've seen all those countries we'll take yearly trips to South America.  Someone that doesn't think it's a waste of time to volunteer in Tanzania and go on a safari in Kenya.  Someone who wants to go to Asia and Australia and just let go and learn about another culture.  That's the part that is so attractive to me about traveling: learning about other cultures, seeing the historical sites of places I've only read about, imagining what it must have been like to see gladiators in the Colosseum in Rome, etc.  I've been to 10 countries and I don't want to stop there!  I want to see 50 countries and all 50 states in my lifetime...and I want to do all that with someone equally passionate about it.

I guess the jealousy is mostly that she's found a guy that wants to be with her the rest of her life.  She likes traveling, too, and he's into it.  He probably knows all her ups and downs as well as I do by now, and he still wants to spend the rest of his life with her and whatever quirky habits she may bring into the situation.  I just wish I could meet someone who makes me happy like he makes her happy.  I'm so glad she's found someone like that, and I hope that my guy is just around the corner.

I've been looking at buying a house or a condo lately, and I'd really love to make such an investment.  Most days I'm really excited about it.  Then there's days like today, when I realize that making such a big investment might mean I can't travel for a while.  It's the thought of finally settling down that freaks me out.  I just don't make enough money to pay a mortgage, utilities, save money for the future, and save money to travel.  I'm hoping things will change so I can have it all, but that's a pretty famous saying, right?  "You can't have it all!"  Well, watch me, because settling down doesn't mean settling on the life you have right now.  Right? 

So, here's an early New Year's toast, or maybe a Thanksgiving toast:

I'm thankful for all the amazing people in my life, my family, friends, and the new addition I'm impatiently waiting to meet.  I'm thankful for everyone who has ever been there for me through my toughest times.  I'm thankful my two friends have found guys that treat them well and want to share the rest of their lives with.  I'm thankful for having the chance to have seen 10 countries and have amazing stories and pictures to bring home with each one.  I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

So, with that said, here's to moving forward!

I bet 10 minutes after writing this I'll be sulking around trying to figure out how to afford everything and my next vacation.  :)

Shoutout to my readers!!!

I'd just like to say, you guys are fantastic!  I just took a look at my blog stats and I was totally shocked to see the list of countries I've had readers from!

Argentina
Australia
Canada
Germany
Hong Kong
Latvia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Romania
United Kingdom
USA
U.S. Virgin Islands

I really do love reading about other people's lives, especially from other cultures, so if you have a blog you'd like to share please e-mail it to me at: emmaville42786@gmail.com

You can also e-mail me any stories, topics you'd like me to write about, or any questions or comments you may have!  I hope to hear from you soon!

xoxo
Emma

Life Update

Since you last heard from me, a long, long time ago, a lot has happened!  Happy Halloween, by the way!  Unfortunately, I had been pretty sick and never got around to getting a costume, so I spent a relaxing night at home with some cocktails and an excellent book!

I was in Europe with my family, went to Oktoberfest in Munich, Rome, Zurich, and a few small German towns.  It was a spectacular time and I hope we do it again next year!  If not, that's fine, we did it once and it was great.

I know you know about Jordan, who is now dating someone new.  I was in Europe for a little less than two weeks, and in that time everything changed.  He's dating a girl who I won't make up a name for at this time, so I'll just call her Girl.  I know Girl, not very well, but I know her.  We all went to the same high school.  He's had a crush on her for a few years now, and he would frequently tell me about it.  Back when I dated Jordan, shortly after we broke up he told her he had feelings for her.  At that time, I was hanging out with her every now and then (through another mutual friend) and she called to ask if it was alright with me if she dated him.  I said it was, even though it really wasn't.  It's not her, it's any girl.  I didn't want him to be with any girl so soon after we broke up (a few weeks).  They didn't date.  I don't know what happened with that.

Anyway, now they're dating each other.  Maybe it was meant to be, maybe they'll have a short relationship, or a long relationship, or get married, or whatever.  Maybe they're perfect for each other.  And part of me is happy for that, really, I am.  As much as I know of her, she's a sweet girl and a good friend.  It just always sucks when, once again, you're not the right person for someone.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think Jordan is the right guy for me...but it doesn't hurt any less when you realize that, at this point in time, you're not the right person for anyone.  Obviously I'm not married, so I've never been the "right person," and I haven't found the "right person," so it is a two-way street.  It's just getting frustrating.

I don't want to talk about work.  I want to talk about the work holiday party and how I can't find an f'ing date.  Really, I'm a pretty girl, I look good in dresses, I'm funny, and I like to dance (there's dancing at this party) and have a good time.  Who wouldn't want to go with me?  Well, guys with girlfriends because those are the only kinds of guys I know.  There's this other guy, who I haven't seen in years, he's single and maybe interested.  But I don't have time for maybes, and it'd be kind of weird to go with someone you haven't seen in so long.  We talk pretty often, but our schedules never seem to line up.  I think I'm going to give up on this whole date thing.

But I don't want to give up on it!  I don't want to just meet a new guy and go with him, I want to go with someone I already know I can have fun with.  I just have this stupid imagination that tends to run wild and I imagine someone like Shawn calling me and I tell him about the party and he tells me he wants to go.  Then I get all dressed up and it'll be the first time I see him in over a year, and he'll tell me I look beautiful, and I'll believe him, we'll go to the party and he'll ask me to dance, and we'll laugh all night.  Then, he'll tell me he still likes me and wants to try it again, then I'll tell him, "No, this was only a one time thing," because he's not the right guy (as stupid as I can be about him, I at least realize he's not good for me).  We'll go home, kiss goodnight, and then I'll probably never see him again and it would at least be a much better ending than the last time we saw each other.  None of that is ever going to happen, though.

What else has been new?  Oh, I'm the extra wheel.  All the time.  And I'm getting so sick of it that I'm on the verge of being one of those girls that goes out to dinner alone or something.  My parents invited me to the Dominican Republic with them and my brother and sister-in-law.  Yeah, how about that.  Let's all get drunk and you can have your romantic vacations and I'll go back to my room and hate myself for not having met some awesome guy to share the experience with.  Plus, if I get really drunk and pass out on the beach, I really don't need my parents with me.  I've already done that and I don't think they really want to see it.  They're all going to Chicago, too.  And since I declined the Dominican Republic trip, they thought I wasn't interested, so they booked two rooms.  I went on this rant about how Chicago would be much more interesting, I can visit some family, etc, and they said, "Well, you could still come!"  Thanks for trying, but now that was just an afterthought.  I know you're all probably reading this and wondering what's wrong with me, but at this point it feels like I'd just spoil Chicago for everyone.  Anyway, no more trips for me at the moment!

November 1 is the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, so I'm going to get crackin' on that novel!  Some of you may know that it's a huge dream of mine to write and publish a novel.  I've written numerous drafts, and none of them have pleased me.  Now, I'm using National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) as a way to kick myself in the ass and get this novel written!  I've taken all my old drafts, made a more productive/interesting outline, and now I'm going to start back at the beginning!  I'm really excited for this project, and I really, really need it to work out.  I need to send it off to publishers and find out if I have what it takes.  If I don't, then at least I tried.  If I don't try, I'll always regret it and wonder about it for the rest of my life!

I hope this post wasn't too depressing since I'm pretty down in the dumps about love at this moment in life!  It'll get better!  I've written down tons of topics I want to blog about, I just haven't had a good opportunity to sit down and write the posts until now.  I'm really excited to finish out 2011 with a bang on this blog, and then it's on to 2012 and bigger and better things!

I'm considering making big changes to the blog, so there may be a new web address in the future, I'll be sure to keep everyone updated!  :-)

xoxo
Emma