my long lost friend.

After a year long relationship and eight months of I don't even know what, it's time that I get to know someone who I have long forgotten:

myself.

oh and she's wonderful, you should totally meet her.  ;-)

Don't get me wrong, being in a relationship does not mean that you loose yourself.  I am by no means saying that.  I am saying that it is possible that certain situations can make you not only forget yourself but can also make you treat yourself like gum on the bottom of your shoe.

So I have decided to date myself for awhile and see who this girl really is and what she's all about.  So far, it's the happiest I've been all year.

What does it mean to date yourself?  The whole logic behind dating stems from the act of getting to know each other: what does that person like, dislike, what makes them laugh, what do they do during their free time, what are their goals in life, and do they rock out to Michael Jackson at least once a week?  The same logic is applied to the notion of dating yourself: what do you like and dislike, what makes you laugh, how do you spend your free time, what are your goals, and why aren't you rocking out to the King of Pop on the regular?  These are important things to know about yourself, not only because you should have a real self awareness and respect for yourself, but if you do plan on dating and marrying one day, it won't end happily if you don't who you are.  If you don't know who you are then you have no way of knowing who or what will make you happy. 

I've been on this venture for several weeks now and have discovered a whole new side of me that I never knew existed like the fact that I love being outside near water, I'm an excellent cook, my wine of choice is Cabernet, and that no matter how many times I hear Katy Perry's California Girls song, I will continue to hate it just as much as I do kool-aid.  I've also remembered things about myself that I had completely forgotten like the fact that I love to bake, the idea of owning a mustang makes my heart race, I'm a writer at heart, I love Areosmith just as much as I do Matchbox Twenty, and that I have a great family.  That last part is important to remember because your family will always have your back and they love you unconditionally.  It's only when you loose a family member that you realize just how true that is. 

So here's to my new friend, me, and all the adventures she's sure to take me on.