Marry a Girl Who Travels

Photo Credit: Port Wallpaper

Some people may warn you to stay away from a woman who likes to travel. They may claim that these women are flighty.  Some say they are unrealistic dreamers. Today is the day that I prove them wrong. Men, if you are lucky enough to catch one, here it what to expect. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

Marry a girl who travels. Your taste buds will always be satisfied. 

As she will be a lover of food, she’ll most likely be adventurous in the kitchen. Chances are she has developed a love of all things exotic, which definitely applies in the kitchen. When she travels, nothing gets her fired up more than trying new dishes. She’ll know how to con the locals into sharing their secret recipes. She’ll even find out where to buy the necessary spices so she can re-create this dish at home. And baby, she’ll stock up!

Marry a girl who travels. You’ll never get lost. 

Yep, you heard me correct. She understands that knowing how to read a map is an essential skill in life. Most likely she has refined this skill and possesses a keen sense of direction. She understands that relying on map quest is not always an option when traversing in a foreign land. You see, she’s already done her research before the trip. She’ll be able to navigate you through the trickiest of traveling situations. She’s already intensely studied the maps and run through all of the options in her head. She’ll know the best modes of transportationand will even know the going rate for a taxi. You may hear her say, “Would you like to take the long scenic way back to the hotel, or the quick route?”

Marry a girl who travels. She is not materialistic. 

She doesn’t need to own Coach purses nor does she need to drive an expensive car. She realizes that there is more to life than keeping up with the Joneses. To her, she would rather sport the embroidered purse she bargained for in Mexico or wear the maxi shirt that she bought in the South of France. You see, her favorite possessions are a reflection of her favorite memories.  Because of this knack, she has refined the art of bargaining. Mark my words, she’ll carry this passion back to her homeland. She will never buy anything full-price and she loves discovering a good deal. She’ll know which grocery stores are having a sale and she isn’t afraid of using coupons.  She’ll even know how to make things from scratch, thus saving money in the long run.

Marry a girl who travels. You’ll never be lonely. 

Most likely she considers conversation to be essential to getting by in a foreign land. She isn’t afraid to strike up a conversation with the cashier at a rest stop and she may become best friends with the girl sitting next to her on the airplane. She has a desire to hear people’s life stories. Her curiosity spurs a desire to know everything. Best part? You’ll develop some new friends too, thanks to her. You may get invited to a wedding last minute or spend the evening experiencing a meal at a locals house. Because she’ll make new connections wherever she goes, this will serve you years down the road if you go on a vacation to another city or country. Most likely, she’ll already have some friends there who will able to show you around.

Marry a girl who travels. She’ll be good at managing a budget. 

When she travels, she does it economically. She won’t waste her money on fancy hotels or expensive meals. She would rather experience life as the locals do. Yes, this could result in some random adventures, but she understands that this is part of the journey. She knows how to survive off of a small budget and will find a way to make her money last. You see, to her that’s part of the joy in traveling.

Marry a girl who travels. You won’t have to spend a lot of money on an engagement ring. 

Yea, that’s a bold statement. But, it’s true. Diamonds are probably NOT her best friend. Most likely, she’ll want something unique and different. She may want to wear your grandmother’s ring or something vintage that has a history behind it. She’ll want your purchase to be well thought out and a reflection of who she is as a woman. You won’t need to break the bank to do this because she knows that love can’t be purchased. Her family, friends, photographs, and memories will be the things that she cherishes the most. Those are all things that money can’t buy. Traveling has taught her this.

Marry a girl who travels. Life will always be an adventure. 

She will find joy in the small things: the sunset, a field of flowers, or a good cup of coffee. She’ll be sure to point these tiny glimpses of beauty out to you. Because she lives by this motto, she’ll probably be able to keep her chin up, even in tricky situations.  Missing a flight, lost luggage, language barriers, a misunderstanding with foreign police? Nope, that won't get her down. And guess what? She’ll help you keep your chin up too:)

You see, when it’s all said and done, it really doesn’t take a lot to please a girl who likes to travel. She’ll take a handwritten note any day over an expensive card, or a bouquet of wild daisies over a dozen red roses.

 

Into the Heart

Dear Diary,

I'm skating on thin ice here. 

You see, for a while now, my heart had been bottled up in a sense. I've met some amazing people in the last year. Friends, romantic interests, a new single me. There have been a lot of firsts. As far as the men are concerned, I tried not getting my heart too attached. Some of these men, I really would have considered seriously dating or maybe making something with. But, the tricky thing about getting your heart involved is that usually you end up getting hurt. I secretly wanted to feel that excitement, but didn't want to get burned.

I've done of lot of thinking about this and I have concluded that maybe I’m a bit like Ted in the sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. I know there's a stash of Lily in there too. You know, a bit quirky, sappy, and dramatic. Yea, that's me. But unfortunately, as far as dating and love is concerned, I'm a bit like Ted. He’s the hopeless romantic, who can never seem to find the right one. See, the problem with Ted is he sees the world with rose-colored glasses. His heart is open to love but he gives it away to the wrong girls, hoping for the best. And, he has many connections that simply don't work out because of timing. I call these "misconnects", where things don't work out because one of you is moving, or just got out of a relationship, etc. I can relate to him because sometimes I think this is my lot in life. The world is just too big.

I'm at a point now where I could jump. But, do I dare? What about the past? What about my mistakes? They still linger. I have had far too much time to dwell on my faults and imperfections. How can one start over when you are not yet perfected? Is that a sign, this lack of perfection?  Does that mean you can’t begin again? My fear is that I never will.   I want to feel happiness in companionship again and I want to open my heart.  Everything I've held onto has vanished and I want to be free. Why in the world am I still dwelling on my regrets? Maybe life has tarnished me? Or, so it seems. 

You can't cling to the past because no matter how tightly you hold on, it's already gone. 

 

But you see, wanting to be free isn't enough. Of this, I am sure. My heart wants to be free, but where it should rest is a matter of questioning. If I dare let my heart open again, it could be madness. Risking this madness with another person, can be even scarier. I'm in a situation where one of my "misconnects" is back in my life. I need your help diary!

Should I settle on a life of good-decisions, safe decisions? I know I can simply allow this to be a misconnect x2.  Or, I can do something about this. I can jump. After all, one can only live in the gray shadows for so long.

Signed,
ME

 

Story of My Life-One Direction