Category Archives: Daily Musings

Tug Of War

Posted in Daily Musings, Liz's Life by

Last weekend Luke and I went home to Toledo, Ohio, where I was raised, to spend a weekend with my parents and friends from home. Whenever I go home I feel an internal struggle that is hard to make sense of.

Let me explain.

My friends and family at home are married, own homes and are on the cusp of having children. My friends here in Chicago are independent, single and get totally freaked out by the idea of settling down….especially in the dreaded SUBURBS!

I feel somewhere in the middle.

My whole life I’ve always said I wanted to live a fast-paced, city life with no obligations except to travel, have fun and push myself to open as many doors as possible. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing for the past four years.

Since meeting Luke though, I can feel my priorities shifting. I no longer have a desire to be “go, go, go” all the time. Instead I’d love to have more of a settled lifestyle that involved family cookouts, dinner with other couples, and a home-base larger than 900 sq. ft.

In some ways I still feel really young & free and in others I am ready for a slower-paced, settled lifestyle.

When do you know when it’s the right time to “grow up” and tackle the next phase in life?

The Lotus Touts (Good Luck Rules)

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My mom sent me a forward this week with tips for living with luck. Typically I delete forwards (sorry mom!) but for some reason I stopped to read this one. I’m glad I did, because it has some valuable lessons that are especially relevant to brides.

The forward said I had to send it to six of my friends or I’ll be cursed with bad luck, but I figure at least six of my readers will enjoy this so maybe I will avoid being cursed. :)

Take a peek and let me know what you think about the Lotus Touts!

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE. When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN! .. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

We Need More Couple Friends!

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This past weekend Luke and I went up to Saugatuck, MI to celebrate Luke’s roommate’s 30th birthday party. Fourteen of us, mostly couples, rented this awesome house near the beach and it was so much fun!

house

We played “guys vs. girls” Catch Phrase, took a wild ride on the Michigan dunes, went out to an amazing dinner and hit the dance floor at a local club/pizza parlor. It was a totally different dynamic than what I’m used to because everyone was there with their significant other, so the whole weekend was about having fun within the group vs. meeting someone new.

Since Luke and I are relatively young (27 and 25) many of our friends in Chicago haven’t settled down into serious relationships. While we love all our single friends and have fun watching them navigate the dating scene, I sometimes wish we had more couple friends to hang out with.

I hate to create a divide between “single” and “attached,” but when you’re in a comitted relationship your idea of fun can change a bit. Sometimes I’d rather have some couples over for dinner and board games than go out to a crowded bar. Does that make me lame?

So why don’t we just make more plans with couples? Well it’s not always that easy. Between our busy schedules, plans already made with our unattached friends and weekend travel, there isn’t much time to forge a new friendship with a couple. Also, it’s hard to find a couple that both of us really click with.

I’m looking forward to the day when more of my friends here in Chicago find mates and settle down. Then maybe they’ll be as excited as I am about making a pot roast and playing euchure on a Friday night. :)