A Year In Review

We come full circle.

In The Case of Dating An Alien: A Tale of Caution and Frustration

When I got out of my situation in late 2014 I promised myself to be happy. For me happiness involves being invested in good people, being loved, sharing insights and living life as intended versus whatever everyone else thinks. I put down my laptop for just shy of a month and I insisted upon meeting someone who could reward me for all my sacrifices. I looked for this said individual under every rock. I also told my mother and family friends that when I found him I would dedicate myself to settling down. I even threatened to marry the first man I met and have a child within one year of meeting him. The day I got back I met someone. In fact, the exact moment. While I was vague with him about my life, he was rather forthcoming with me. He explained that he had been on his own since age 14, estranged from his parents, had come to this country chasing a girl and now worked ungodly hours to make up for lost time. I understood everything. Or so I thought. Within weeks we were dating or "fake dating" as I called it. His European senses made everything so damn formal. I just wanted to get to know him and immediately it had to be dinner over a tablecloth. While it was unusual in my dating experience to be wined & dined, I'm not going to say I didn't like it. I loved it. He showered me in affection, we talked on the phone for hours and I felt I had met if not "the one" but a proper candidate as planned. 

And then the lights dimmed out.

An American Abroad: Attitudes & Arguments

The average American has very high expectations for most things in life. We handle problems and disputes very differently from other cultures. We simply expect the best in everything and don't really know how to handle disappointment. We seriously use our egos to get whatever it is we want. There are those with aggressive personalities wherein our reputation proceeds us. There are those that flirt and prey upon others. There are generally nice people who simply have big wishes and desires. The risk in all of the above is that sometimes none of that works. Most if not all of the above behaviors don't fly in Europe. Disappointment in travel is inevitable and it should be the one thing to expect and prepare for. The true test is how you handle the snafus when they come. You actually do have options and choices.