Why do we keep coming back?

Song of the Moment: "Jar Of Hearts" by Christina Perri
Mood: confused

“Something always brings me back to you, it never takes too long.” ~ “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles

I’m struggling and have no one I can tell because they wouldn’t approve. While in Vegas two weekends ago, I texted the “rebound” a picture of something that I knew he would like. I told my two best friends who I was on the trip with, and they berated me and made me promise I wouldn’t write him back if he wrote me back. I said I wouldn’t, but did it anyway. He told me I looked good and that he was glad I texted him. Last I heard, he was dating a girl he met off eHarmony and so I just left it at that and we didn’t talk again.
That was until Sunday night, I got drunk and texted him. He wrote me back the next day and we had a good conversation going when he told me that things were ending with eHarmony girl. I didn’t say much about it, and we stopped talking that afternoon.

Then last night around 11 p.m., he texts me and tells me he’s single. Just like that, my heart just falls again. Then we end up talking until 3 a.m. that night. The thing is I don’t know if I can do this to myself again. He’s already hurt me twice, and I just don’t know if I can do it again. I’m still not completely over him from the last time, and I don’t know what this means. Is he just looking for a rebound again? Is that all I am? He acted differently this last time, but yet he still started dating someone else when I thought we were going to start dating.

He’s so bad for me, and I know it. He has this power over me, and I just can’t say no to him. I’m so scared to even tell my friends because I know what they’ll say. Why? Because I’m saying it to myself: run, run as fast as you can and don’t look back. But I can’t. I care about him so much. I hate myself for it, but I’ve got this hope that one day it will work out. It’s not bad to have hope, right? There has to be a reason why we keep coming back to each other. Once, after my divorce. Then when he got hurt over the summer. And now.

He said last night that it was ironic that I texted him when things were falling apart with eHarmony girl. I don’t know if that’s true, but it is something.

But I feel like, perhaps, it’s just a comfortability issue. He’s easy because we’ve known each other so long. I feel like I can tell him anything, except how I feel about him. We just have this bond, left over from long ago.

I keep telling myself I was so much smarter when I was 14 and 15 when I was able to say no to his charms. I even said so to him last night, and he said it wasn’t that I was smarter back then, it’s just that now I’m more open to taking risks. And he’s right, I’ve done so much in the past year I never thought I’d do and I have no regrets anymore. Not my marriage, not all my drunken escapades, not a single moment with him.

I won’t lie, my transformation wouldn’t be the same without him. This past year has shaped my life and he was a big part of it. He helped me past a lot of my self-esteem issues and my fear of ever finding a man who would want me again. But does he really want me? In the words of John Mayer: Is it me or the thought of me?

A year ago this week, we had dinner for the first time. I realized he was the first man I’d ever had dinner with alone that wasn’t my husband. And we just clicked all over… we hadn’t seen each other since we were 17 and 19 and it was so easy to talk to him. We talked for three hours and would have kept talking if I hadn’t had to go to work. Then we started a “friends with benefits” thing for a couple of months. We both developed feelings and he got scared and ran away. I told him not to contact me, and yet the entire summer, I went to his bar over and over, hurting myself even more each time I saw him and talked to him and realized I couldn’t have him. I’m such a masochist. Then September came, and I’d promised I wouldn’t go back. Out of the blue, I get a text from him and we spend this amazing weekend together in Myrtle Beach. After that, things get started again. I thought things were different, he acted like they were, and then I had to tell him goodbye because he met a girl on eHarmony. But I never stopped thinking about him. Hell, I had to delete him on facebook because I couldn’t stand to see the pics of him and his new girlfriend.

And now, here we are. But where are we? Something always brings us back to each other. But why? He’s basically told me before that I’m just not enough for him. Not in so many words, but it’s what I inferred from what he’s said to me. In fact, the last time I saw him… we had this talk about what we were doing. I asked “why her and why not me?” and he didn’t have a good answer. It’s a question I’ve struggled with since we were in high school and he started dating another girl instead of me. But why is he back? Why is he doing this to me? Is it because I can’t say no to him, and he knows it. I don’t know.

And here I am again, I want so much more but I just don’t know where to go or who to turn to. Signing off for now because I don’t know what else to say.

My Top Songs/Albums Of 2010

I brought in the New Year with my best friends. I was surprisingly sober, but didn’t have the best time I could have because I was letting something get to me.

Now, as I look back on 2010, it can be summed up through music. Music has always been my outlet; lyrics just say the things I can’t put into words myself sometimes. So without further ado, my top songs of 2010 in chronological order.

TIFFANY'S TOP SONGS OF 2010

“Wanna Undo It” by Carrie Underwood

I began the year looking forward to my divorce getting underway. This was my song to start the year off right.
“Friends, Lovers, Or Nothing” by John Mayer

This is off his “Battle Studies” album, which is nothing less than amazing. But this song hit a special chord with me. Played for me by the “rebound” one February night while laying in his bed, he told me that I’d love this song. Little did he know this song would hit home with our situation. The lines John sings at the end of the song have stuck with me, and have become somewhat of a mantra for me: “Anything other than yes is no. Anything other than stay is go. Anything less than ‘I love you’ is lying.”

“Bedrock” by Young Money

It’s a fun song I loved to dance to at the clubs in the spring but my favorite line was always: “She ain’t got a man, but she’s not alone.”

“Haven’t Met you yet" by Michael Buble

Of course, this is one for all of us who are single. I know my future is out there somewhere, I just either haven’t met him yet, or I just don’t realize he’s already in my life. :)

“I’m no good for ya baby” by Laura Bell Bundy

LBB has to be one of my favorite female artists of all time. She’s fun and she can also belt out a ballad like you can’t believe. This is one of her songs of “Achin’ and Shakin’”. “I ain’t looking for Mr. Right, I ain’t looking for Mr. Right Now” sums it up. (I ended up seeing her perform for free in November… one of the best shows I’ve ever seen!)

“Bulletproof” by Laroux

My summer anthem. This may seem like just a fun dance song, but the lyrics are very timely. After my divorce, I just want not to get hurt again. So this was my perfect song for the summer. “baby this time I’ll be bulletproof”

“Your love is my drug” by Ke$ha

First off, let me say don’t judge me because I love Ke$ha. Her entire album was awesome, and her ballads (which she should have released) are also phenomenal. In June, I won a contest to meet her and then I went to see her flood benefit concert. This song was something I always sang with my friends. “So I got a question, do you wanna have a slumber party in my basement?”

“Teach me how to dougie” by Cali Swag District

Oh my, what can I say? I still can’t dougie though I allegedly attempted to on my wild birthday night. Who says white girls can’t dance? Oh wait, that’s right, I can’t.

“Wild and Young” by American Bang

Great band, amazing song, stellar album. They are actually from Nashville, and this song is just one of the best rock songs I’ve heard in quite some time.

“Only Prettier” by Miranda Lambert

My song for my girls. “We’re just like you, only prettier.” And who better to sing it than the amazing Miranda Lambert?

“Dog Days Are Over” by Florence and the Machine

I actually would break out into crazy dance moves anytime I heard this song, but mostly when I was alone in my room. You can’t not dance to this song… it just makes you want to move. And the lyrics are relatable as well.

“Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy

Where to begin? This song came up on my Florence and the Machine Pandora station in September. I listened to this song for a week straight, and then it literally came true when I went to MB with the “rebound” less than a week later.
LYRICS:
Your fingertips across my skin
The palm trees swaying in the wind, images
You sang me Spanish lullabies
The sweetest sadness in your eyes, clever trick

Well I’d never want to see you unhappy
I thought you’d want the same for me

Goodbye my almost lover
Goodbye my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?

So long my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

We walked along a crowded street
You took my hand and danced with me in the shade
And when you left you kissed my lips
You told me you would never ever forget these images no

Well I’d never want to see you unhappy
I thought you’d want the same for me

Goodbye my almost lover
Goodbye my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?

So long my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do

I cannot go to the ocean
I cannot drive the streets at night
I cannot wake up in the morning
Without you on my mind
Now you're gone and I’m haunted
And I bet you are just fine
Did I make it that easy to walk
Right in and out of my life?

Goodbye my almost lover
Goodbye my hopeless dream
I'm trying not to think about you
Can't you just let me be?

So long my luckless romance
My back is turned on you
Should've known you'd bring me heartache
Almost lovers always do
“F*ck You” by Cee Lo Green

The “rebound” played this for me in Myrtle Beach. Now it’s my song for him, haha.

“Follow through” by Gavin Degraw

I realize this is an older song, but it also came up on my Maroon 5 Pandora station in October. I had said a couple of days earlier in relation to “rebound” back in my life, “Words mean nothing if you don’t follow through”. And then this song came on. “This is the start of something good, don’t you agree?” is what I thought was happening with him and then he didn’t follow through.

“Bottoms up” by Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj

Who doesn’t love this song? It’s catchy and Nicki Minaj just makes it even better. “excuse me, I’m sorry, I’m really such a lady.”

“Bass down low” by Dev and the Cataracts

My end of the year anthem; it’s just good fun!

Notable Songs Off My Albums of the Year

 “Battle Studies” by John Mayer

“Friends, Lovers, Or Nothing” “Who Says” “Perfectly Lonely”

“Animal” by Ke$ha

“Dinosaur” “Stephen” “Blind” “Hungover”

“American Bang” by American Bang

“She don’t cry no more” “Hurts Like Hell” “Wouldn’t Want To Be You” “Wildside”

“Bionic” by Christina Aguilera

“Woohoo” “You Lost Me” “I Hate Boys” “My Girls” “Vanity”

“Achin’ and Shakin’” by Laura Bell Bundy

"Cigarette" "If You Want My Love" "I'm no good for ya baby" "Drop on by"

“Hands All Over” by Maroon 5

“I can’t lie” “Out of Goodbyes” “The Air That I Breathe”

“Speak Now” by Taylor Swift

“Dear John” “Sparks Fly” “Enchanted” “The Story Of Us” “Last Kiss"

Year In Review: Having Too Much Fun

Song of the Moment: “Perfectly Lonely” by John Mayer


Mood: hopeful

“And I don’t belong to anybody, nobody belongs to me….”

So it’s been a while. I started this blog last year this time in order to help me get my thoughts out and to help me keep track of my New Year’s resolutions. And what a year it’s been I honestly don’t know where it went. Time flies when you’re having too much fun….

This year has had its ups and downs. In January, my ex-husband finally filed for divorce after 4 months of being separated. The next four months, I waited around for the finalization and just tried to have fun. On April 5, we were officially divorced. In May came the floods. I also changed back to my maiden name and started a new job that wasn’t overnights. In June, I went on my first out-of-country vacation and signed a quit claim deed on the house I owned with my ex. In July, I sold my beloved Jeep because I couldn’t refinance it. In one week that month, I had 2 car break-downs, my 52-inch LCD shorted out, and I found out my ex-husband had married his ex-girlfriend that he swore he didn’t cheat on me with (yeah right). Then, I had to buy a new car(Mary Ann the Mazda). In August, I had my first experience with blacking out from drinking too much. Not good. In September, I celebrated my 25th birthday with more friends than I could have ever dreamed. Also in September, a vacation to Myrtle Beach turned into something I’ll never forget. By October, I realized I’d been overdoing things, and started to trim back. November and December were tough months just because of the holidays, though nothing substantial happened.
During all this year, I still have yet to date. I have kissed way too many frogs, and while I don’t regret anything I did, I am trying to get myself together. This year, I have gotten over my ex-husband, something I never dreamed would happen. I thought we’d be together forever. While my “rebound” helped me through my divorce more than I could have ever dreamed, now I struggle with the hurt of trying to get over the rebound. It’s a never-ending circle, isn’t it?

But I’m doing okay on my own. With my new schedule, I can’t even imagine trying to fit in dating, much less a boyfriend in my life. My friends keep me busy and I’m having a good time being single. In fact, I’m going to Las Vegas in January for a long weekend with my two best friends and I can’t wait.

I am also still living with my parents. It’s honestly not a bad situation, but it’s something I’m going to have to deal with for a while longer while I work on saving money (which I suck at).

This year, I’ve gained so many great, new friends, though some have turned out to be acquaintances. I’ll never forget the many nights I spent with these people while I was getting out my crazy, wild side. It was a fun summer that I will probably never repeat, but that I will never, ever forget. I also found my two soul mates… the two very best friends who I hope will always be in my life. They’ve been my rock and my confidants who are always there when I need them.

As I bring in the New Year, I think to myself that 2011 promises so many good things: a place of my own finally, paying down some debt, new & old friends, watching my nephew grow up, and maybe-- just maybe-- finally dating.
P.S. My New Year’s resolutions are to run more and lose 10-15 pounds, as well as get my own place!

I'm Not Who I Was & I Never Want To Be Again

Song of the Moment: "Bulletproof" by Laroux
Mood: content


"I wish you could see me now.
I wish I could show you how I'm not who I was.
I used to be mad at you, a little on the hurt side too.
But I'm not who I was ..."
"I'm not who I was" by Brandon Heath


I’ve been trying to write this for a few weeks now, and I think I need to get it out.
I look at myself in the mirror and I don’t recognize the person standing before me. It’s not a bad thing. The woman I was a year ago is not someone I would ever want to know or be again. I was very needy and dependent, plus I was so unhappy with my life that I took it out on others. The woman I am now is more confident, more independent, and genuinely a better person. I’m happy to say that my divorce has spurred to want to be better, for myself and for the others around me. I’m proud of who I am, but there’s still so much more that I want to do, so much more I want to be.
I look back at my life over the past year, and it’s hard to realize how I got to where I’m at. And where exactly am I at? A year later almost, and I’m still just as clueless as ever. But at least I know that. This time last year, I was so unhappy and I honestly couldn’t admit to myself why I was unhappy. Today, I’m not as happy as I could be, but I’m at least making strides towards something and most days, I couldn’t ask for much more.

There was someone in my life who I thought would be there for a long time, but for some reason, our friendship fizzled out. That’s something that has been nagging at me. This person was someone I could tell anything to, and I miss having that. I know why things had to be this way, but it genuinely sucks. I miss him, I miss knowing what's going on with his life, and I hope he knows that. Also, I realized today that when something good, bad, sad, or something stupid happens, I don’t have anyone to tell. I have quite a few good friends, but not one best friend. That’s hard. I’ve always been that kind of person who has a couple of best friends, and not many other friends.
On that note, I have more friends than I have ever had. I actually have more friends than I have time to hang out with them all. I’m not bragging, but I’ve never had that before, and I love always having something to do. But still, there’s something missing. I don’t know what it is. I think it’s that I wanted to figure out who I am, and I still have no idea. There are so many things I want to do, but I feel stalled. I am finally capable of getting my own place, but it is being put on hold waiting on my future roommate to get the money together. I keep wondering if I should just do it myself. I feel like so many things can’t happen until I get myself settled in my own place. I can’t date, I can’t feel like I’ve truly accomplished something… moving on completely. Because otherwise, I’m there. I signed the house over to my ex, so that’s a weight off my shoulders. I sold my Jeep that I loved dearly so that I could free myself of everything from my previous life. Everything else is done. But I still have so many questions, so many what ifs.

That sounds so dramatic, but it’s true. I am living a life I never expected to have to live. It’s not that I don’t like it, because I enjoy it. Most days I’m perfectly content with my life. Going out with my friends and having a few drinks and doing what I want to do is something I never thought could ever happen to me. And here I am, nearly 25, and I have a good job, good friends, and on my way to complete independence. I’m almost there and I can’t wait for the day that I can say I am there.

Stuck... but not Stagnant

Song of the Moment: "Young & Beautiful" by Carrie Underwood
Mood: inspired

"You've got to get yourself together. You've got stuck in a moment and now you can't get out of it. Don't say that later will be better. Now you're stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it" 
'Stuck in A Moment' by U2 

It's been three months since I last updated and a lot of things have changed since then, though some have stayed the same. I'm now officially divorced as of April 5th and I changed back to my maiden name a couple of weeks ago. It was a very liberating experience. Unfortunately, I'm still connected to my ex-husband (I love saying that!) because we still own the  home together. That is another situation altogether. I'm not sure when that will ever get resolved. It's been on the market since October. Good news though, we got a new real estate agent last month so hopefully it will sell soon. If it doesn't sell by July, I plan to suggest renting it out. I refuse to live with my parents for more than a year, so August is my deadline for getting my own place. 

Also, I've met tons of new people over the past couple of months... and I'm slowly building up a great core group of friends who I look forward to being in my life for a long time. They're good people who truly care about me and want what's best for me. That's really all I could ever hope to find in a friendship and I'm so thankful for finding them.  

In other news, I got a new job. I haven't started it yet, but I will *hopefully* soon start with Channel 5's dot com department as an Internet News Producer. My schedule won't be completely ideal but it's better than working the overnight shift. This new shift (2pm-11pm) will allow me to have a semi-normal life and maybe even date! I'm looking forward to the change and hope that it will usher in a good change in my life.

But with all of these new and great things in my life, I still feel... stuck. I feel like I'm slowly trudging through mud; like I'm repeating the same day, the same week, the same weekend-- every day, every week, and every weekend. I just want things to move along faster. I want to start my new job, I want the house to sell, I want to get my own place, I want a steady schedule, I want to date, I want to find out what I like and what I need. Wow, that's a lot of wants. I just feel like I'm not ever going to get to a place where I'm just perfectly content. 

There are still some things that need to be done: I need to get my Jeep refinanced so I can get new car insurance. I need to take Whiskey to the vet; I haven't been the best dog "mom" to her lately. I need to get my name changed on EVERYTHING. I need to stop drinking so much; I feel like an alcoholic sometimes.

I'm really enjoying my life right now. Though I've done some things the past few months that weren't the best decisions, I have no regrets about anything I've done because it's brought me here. And here is exactly where I need to be. :) But I know I can't just wait around for things to work themselves out, I've gotta keep moving forward to a new and better life. Peace out.





 

Broken vs. broken-hearted


Song of the Moment: "Bruised But Not Broken" by Joss Stone

Mood: overheated

"Who says I can't be free from all of the things that I used to be? Rewrite my history, who says I can't be free?"
'Who Says' by John Mayer


What breaks a person? Love? Hate? Anger? Abandonment? Loneliness?

I'm sure at one point in life, everyone has been broken... may it be from loss of love, loss of friendship, loss of family, loss of work. Whatever it may be... being broken is a completely different thing than being broken-hearted.

Why do I say that? Because I don't feel broken-hearted. Broken-hearted means that emptiness you feel when you lose the one you love; feeling like you'll never be okay again. It means you can't imagine your life without that person and you feel like you just can't go on without them. I don't feel that way... maybe I did at first, but as time has passed I am so sick and tired of dwelling on the past, and what has happened to me-- that I feel like screaming. I'm not angry anymore and I'm not sad; mostly, I'm just content and taking things as they come my way.

 But I am broken. I had this life that I lived for 6 years and now that life and those dreams are gone.  Do I wish it had turned out differently? No. Do I regret it? No. Do I miss it? Hell no. Everything I've done has brought me to this point in my life. If I hadn't gotten married, I wouldn't be here; here being on the verge of a better life. I wouldn't have been able to become the person I'm supposed to be. Which isn't saying that I know who that is. One thing I do know:  I'm a COMPLETELY different person than I was 5 months ago; in fact, I'm a different person than I was a month ago. I've had people actually say to me "You seem happier" or "You're much nicer than you were 6 months ago." It kinda hurts, but at the same time-- I'm glad because I never realized how bad things had gotten... what a terrible person I'd become because I was unhappy.

I feel like the person I've been for the past few months, maybe even the last couple of years was never really, truly, honestly ME. I was living the life I thought I was supposed to, because it's all I'd ever known. And because I never took the time to find out who I truly am.

There's a line from a poem I wrote in high school that keeps playing in my mind over and over again: "Just because I'm broken doesn't mean I'm pathetic enough to want pity." Try to imagine the pity I see in most people's eyes when they look at me. It's quite depressing. And the things people say: "You're better off"; "Something better, someone better will come along"; "You're young, you've got plenty to look forward to." It's gotten so banal that I've contemplated packing up, moving away, and starting over. Perhaps going to a place where no one knows me and I can just figure out who I am, what I like, who I like, how I feel about anything and everything. But I can't do that right now... as much as I would like-- I can't run away from all this. I have a job, my family is here, and I feel like I haven't given it enough time to find out what's next for me here-- much less somewhere else.

It's now officially February... and I honestly don't know where the last month has gone. My cooking class this weekend got cancelled because of the snow... so this month it's on to a new hobby! Working out is coming along, slowly but surely. And as you can tell from my last post-- the papers are here and I'll be signing them this week. I'll keep you posted on what happens next.  I feel like I've made significant progress. I'm moving on with my life, not dwelling on the past... though I'm not completely okay-- I'm feeling better than I've felt in quite some time, physically, mentally, spiritually. And I'm just trying to enjoy whatever comes my way. Every mistake I made has led me to this point... and every mistake I make from here on out will continue to make me the person I want to be. For that, I'm thankful. You think you know... but you have no idea what will happen next. And I certainly don't have any clue.... but I'm eager to see how things play out! Peace for now...


♥ tiffany renee

bittersweet, yet exhilirating


divorce2


Resolution No. 1 is actually happening!!! More updates to come soon!!!

P.S. What do you think of the new blog layout?