American Sniper

Could you imagine being responsible for killing over 160 people and have the ability to walk around freely in society?  I can't even imagine what that does to your psyche.  Do you feel like a warrior, a killer?  Justified because you protected your fellow soldiers?  Or does it make you sad, or proud?  This movie touched me in a way that I've never been touched before, patriotically.  Veterans, I always respected, but honestly there was always a gap with what I thought they experienced, versus what I'm sure they really experienced.  This movie helped close that gap for me.  

I left the movie feeling so empathetic that I had to text one of my Veteran friends and thank him again for his service.  I now feel and believe there is a HUGE gap between what civilians think our soldiers go through, versus what they really experience day in and day out on the battlefield and when they come home.  It made me feel horrible.  How could so many of us walk through our daily lives, freely, so unaware, while these soldiers are fighting for us and experiencing so much confusion and pain.  Our reality of cars, work, and social status seem to really stress us out doesn't it?  We have NO CLUE what it feels like to carry the weight of what these soldiers carry on their shoulders and in their minds every day.  Not only do they have THAT to carry, but also the adjustment back to our materialistic fake society that surrounds and encompasses us all.  

I highly recommend seeing this movie.  I think it did a great job detailing what our soldiers go through, not only on the battlefield, but what they see and feel once they come home.  I've never felt so in touch with what they go through until now, and even with this film I'm sure we're all still far off from really understanding.  

It inspired me.  It made me want to help, to reach out, to do something.  

Now I know there are some of you that think, "well they chose to go over there and fight."  And trust me, I get that, and in no way would I ever make that choice, not right now anyway.  Which makes me feel even more thankful and empathetic for our soldiers.  I don't think that war is the answer, but I also think that no one has the answers to this convoluted world of politics, economics, and terror that we're all going through these days.  

I know there are soldiers too that are fine when they come home.  And those guys are extremely strong.  Shoot I need some advice from them on how to cope with some things in my life and I'm far off from holding the weight of what they carry in their minds.  

Anyway, I wanted to share my experience because it truly touched me and I will forever hold Veterans in an even more higher regard now.  

Bad Dates

SO, yes, I've had a few serious relationships in my life, but I'll admit most of my adult life has been filled with a hell of a lot of dates.  Some dates have been good, some have been ok, but some have been borderline weird, crazy, or terrible! Of course I tell my girlfriends my crazy stories and they always say "Elizabeth you need to write a book!"  I've been hesitant, because on some dates I do mention my blog and how I write about my travels, life, etc.  But it's gotten to a point now where I just don't care!  I don't plan on seeing these "bad dates" again anyway!  I've accumulated enough "bad date" material and I think it is the perfect time to start sharing these crazy stories!

Now, this post would be too long to go back in time to cover all of the crazy dates I've had.  Like the guy who got so drunk at a basketball game that he threw up on himself and fell asleep in his seat, which was only a couple rows back from the Celtics!  Or the guy who told me that he's into open relationships and was floored when a girl he recently met, who was already in a relationship, broke it off with him (after she told him she slept with another guy, but he wasn't mad about that part).  Or the guy who friended me and borderline stalked me on Facebook.  Or the guy who was a pet cremator.  Or the guy who talked about himself for 2 hours and never asked one question about me.  Or the guy I dated for a little while, who stalked my blog, later realized that some of my posts weren't about him and then he went off on me! 

Unfortunately I could go on and on, but this could be fun.  Of course my goal in life is to NOT be a habitual dater (or habitual bitch as my brother said).  But until I find Mr. Right - I meet a lot of Mr. Wrong's in the process.  I know there are a lot of women that go through this - and ladies you are not alone!!!

My intention is not to bash guys here.  But only to vocalize the experience of meeting men that just aren't right for me.

Stay tuned....

NYC Weekend!

As we were approaching LaGuardia airport I looked out my window and saw the craziest thing. I saw a circle rainbow. At first it was just the circular rainbow, but as we descended into different angles of sunlight, I suddenly noticed our plane's shadow IN the rainbow. 

Man, what magic!

New York trips are so much fun! I was lucky enough to be flown up to NYC for an interview! I chose to stay over the weekend to explore the city with one of my friends. But business first - interview time!

After a full day of interviews it was time to unwind! I've been to New York quite a few times, but now was the time to explore the city as a potential future resident! My girlfriend showed me around a few neighborhoods so I could get a jump start on things should the universe place me in this direction!

Working in Manhattan you have a few options of where to live, price depending of course. We checked out various neighborhoods in Manhattan and in Brooklyn.

NYC has some of the most interesting street art, which I love! 

Sometimes you see the craziest things in NYC!!!!

My short weekend was maximized to the fullest, hanging out and checking out local digs.  I hope I get to come back soon!  Until next time New York City...

"To The Women With Warm Hearts & Cold Hands"

There are no words I can use to sum up this article that would do it any better justice than to read it. THANK YOU Naomi Honon for writing such a beautiful piece.  It's nice to know I'm not alone out there in my thoughts.  That is why I write, and you have done the same for me.  Thank you.

Via Naomi Honon Dec 3, 2014
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/12/to-the-women-with-warm-hearts-cold-hands/


I don’t know how you like your coffee on misty mornings.

I don’t know which rooftop you kick your favorite sneakers off to climb, what haunts your thoughts at night or what makes you want to stand up and fight. But I do know you—and I know your heart.

You are the woman who zips her own dress up for work every morning. The woman laughing under the rain without anyone to help you jump over puddles. The woman who runs up stairs and double checks locks before ending every day. The woman curled up under sheets, in the corner of a bed meant for two.

I know you because we share the same heart.

We all arrived here through different roads, different highways and different dirt paths. Some of us are bruised. Some of us are spotless. How we got here doesn’t matter—only how we’re tied together.

We are the women who spend our sweatpants-wearing Sunday afternoons alone. The women who treat ourselves to fancy Valentine’s Day dinners. The women who buy ourselves carnations after making mistakes.

We are the women who’ve decided to bravely put love on the back burner. We know we’ll one day be mothers of beautiful children who’ll share the same clusters of freckles on their noses. We know there’ll come a time when we’ll look into someone’s eyes and see a reflection of our dreams.

We never for a second doubt that we deserve all this or that it’ll happen. But we know that now is not that time, and we accept it with grace and patience.

Couples in black and white romantic movies make us smile without wincing. We sing along to cheesy ballads on radios knowing that one day, one of them will be sung for us. We go to sleep every night happy no one’s taken our minds hostage. We aren’t waiting. We aren’t still, or frozen with hope. We are in a constant state of motion, dedicating everyday to ourselves and the goals our souls ache for.

To the women with warm hearts and cold hands, I hope you know how brave you are.

Solitude can get deafening sometimes, but self-sufficiency is a trait even warriors have trouble mastering. You are your own commander, fighting frostbite, fidgeting in your mittens. Never apologize for the fires you light.

Carry our flag with you and know you’ll never be alone.

Beside you stands an army of women marching to the same heartbeat in bedrooms that are oceans and countries away, carrying the same promises to themselves throughout their days. Who never allow anyone to tell them what they should have, or who they should need.

And never let anyone tell them when love should, or shouldn’t be.

Concealed Carry!

Recently I took the North Carolina concealed carry handgun course. This is something that's been on my radar for years, and finally, I did it! This was an all day class, from 8am to 5pm, of classroom material, a test, and practice on a shooting range!

Ronnie Atwood is the man!!!!

I highly recommend this class for everyone. You'll learn a little bit of history about the Second Amendment, the rules of engagement, self defense tactics, and what rights you have depending on how things can play out on the battlefield, as Ronnie would say. Learning about guns too, even if you don't like them, is great knowledge to have. I want to share with you some of the interesting things I learned. In no way are these my political or military passions, I just learned a lot this day and am excited to share. :)

Every American has the right to bear arms, that's what the Second Amendment is all about - "A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." This Amendment has been interpreted in many different ways, but essentially this Amendment makes sure the government works for the people, and not the other way around. That the ultimate authority resides in the people, and this Amendment protects the people so we do not end up in a tyrannical situation.

On average, it takes only 7-14 seconds to break into a home.
If someone was breaking into your home right now what would you do? Do you have a plan? Will you hide in a closet? Do you have time to grab your kids? Do you have a gun, nearby? Are you going to call 911? Do you have any weapons stored around your house to prepare for this type of situation? Pepper spray, anything? 14 seconds is not a long time. These are important questions you should have answered. You should also consider staging your house with barriers should an armed intruder enter your home. Putting locks on bedrooms doors will give you precious seconds to help you prepare for this battle, to call 911, to grab weapons, etc. Staging your house with objects that could stop bullets from moving through walls, too, is also important. For example, say your child's bedroom is across from yours. You hear someone breaking in and you don't have time to run and grab your kids, you're in your room and an armed intruder is charging you. You shoot at him, later realizing you are shooting into your child's bedroom. Having a bookshelf or piano on the walls between you and your loves ones is something to consider.

Routine habits will get you killed faster and make you an easier target.
If you're able to, switch things up. Take a different way to work. Take off on a Tuesday. How many times do you hear stories of a home being broken into and turns out a mother was home sick, etc. If you can't breakup your routine, make sure you have a plan.

Take time to talk to your spouse, or your kids, or if it's just you, HAVE A PLAN. Maglites, flashlights, and pepper spray are great to have strategically placed around your home. Take time to do pepper spray training. How many of you have pepper spray but have never used it? Do you know how far it will spray? Is it a stream, or a gel? Get familiar with what you're working with so you can quick and easily protect yourself.

Statistics show you are more likely to survive if you fight back versus giving in.
As a woman, I've heard many suggestions of what to do should I be attacked in a parking lot or while getting in my car. But one I had not yet heard was keeping a whistle on you. Not in your purse in a deep side pocket, but on a retractable string on the outside of your purse. Attackers do not like attention. Blowing on a whistle is a great way to call attention to yourself. Also, besides just screaming HELP, scream HELP RAPE! How many of us have seen a couple arguing and you just think, "Man, glad that's not me and my relationship."  It's quite sad, it's the world we live in these days. If you see a heated argument you almost think the two people know each other. But you never know how many women are just frozen in fear trying to talk their attackers out of what they're doing. Scream HELP RAPE, and blow that whistle, that will get someones attention should you need it.

SO - I know this was a lot. Some of you may already be familiar with this type information, but some may not be. This information is good to have!

Knowledge is so beautiful!