it’s always been aidan.

i’ve been indulging myself in some serious sex & the city time.

and big is infuriating. failing to commit. refusing to introduce carrie to his mother. and then running off to paris only to marry someone else? ew! and what’s worse is that after all that carrie still doesn’t value herself enough to cut ties with him.

now, i love me some carrie. i really really do. i love the clothes. i love the writing (duh). and i love her relationship with her friends. and i relate to all of it…but the big thing i can’t get on board with.

big is self-absorbed, not interested in getting to know her friends, and completely unavailable. aidan is sweet, great with his hands, funny, and isn’t afraid of commitment. NO BRAINER.

so, while i do have a post-it as a lovely remnant of my last relationship and a closet (or three) full of clothing, for me, it’s always been aidan.

oh boy.

i’m single again.

which means i’m dating. and guys are weird. and also amazing. and strange. and dreamy.

it’s no secret that i’m hoping to find my mr. forever. and if the recent boys are any indication of what’s out there, i’m simultaneously nervous and excited. i’ve been lukewarm about the whole dating thing recently…i like being single because it lets me focus on my favorite thing, me.

my absolute favorite thing about dating (besides the possibility of love) are the stories. every date ends in a fabulous story that i get to share with my best friends. (and you)

for example, there was one boy whose calls i avoided for over a year (if this sounds like it might be you. please stop reading. seriously. stop.) and then one day i decided maybe i wrote him off too quickly…so, we went out. (did i mention he lives over an hour away and drove down here just to take me out? i called it sweet, my brother called it desperate) regardless, it was a lovely time. he was considerate, nice, made corny jokes, opened my door for me, let me hide behind him during the scary parts of the haunted house, and didn’t try once to smooch me (which would have totally scared me off, i’m a little skiddish). so, i went out with him again. and (here’s where it gets good) he downloaded every single P!nk album ever made because he knew she’s my favorite. umm…trying too hard? now, i’m a big big fan of music…and i’ve been won over more than once by a mix tape, but this was too much. and then it got worse. he turned out to be one of those people that agrees with everything you say…doesn’t really form his own opinions. i was annoyed within 10 minutes. i found him completely obnoxious. which is unfortunate because he genuinely is a nice guy. boring. but nice. but i’m looking for a hell of a lot more than just ‘nice’.

then, there’s the dreamboat that i met over 6 months ago. i was involved at the time, so nothing happened. (i’m a good girlfriend) but we reconnected (thank you, facebook!) and he’s the perfect blend of sweetheart and asshole. intelligent, attractive, funny, and smooches like a dream. it’s rare for me to click with someone, so when i do – i don’t take it lightly. i’m not doodling his name in my journal yet, but he’s been taking up a lot of real estate in my head recently. and i rather like it.

it’s refreshing to know that there are still boys out there who can make you swoon and make you think. i like being challenged and i love me a smart boy (especially when he’s toned, tan, fit, and ready). i’m thankful that in the course of a week i’ve gone from lukewarm to hot for someone.

and grateful that when it comes to love (or like), i’m always optimistic.

everything changes.

‘in the end only two things matter: how deeply you loved and how gracefully you let go.’

i’m proud to say on the eve of my thirtieth birthday that i’ve gotten pretty damn good at both.

cuz let’s face it, i’m ‘better than your ex, better than the next’ and no one will do it like me, but you’ll wish someone could…

can your ex-ex-boyfriend be your next boyfriend?

‘if it can be broke, then it can be fixed’

discovering feelings you didn’t know still existed after 1.5 years of not seeing someone can come as a complete surprise. but if you know me at all, you already know…i love surprises.

so, to answer my initial question, who knows?! i know my ex-ex-ex-boyfriend could NEVER ever be my next boyfriend, but the one after him was special.

if it’s meant to be, it will.

and it just may be.

…all you need is time.

catharsis.

i’ve been having a debate with my friends regarding closure…what it is & what it means.

i think closure is make-believe. you create your own endings and looking to someone else to complete something for you seems asinine.

nonetheless, my best friend, sweet lovely angel that she is, insisted SHE needed a certain closure. and so while i’ve closed all the doors i needed to and while i’m a fan of the high road and moving forward, this post is dedicated to her.

and a proper ending for something that was lovely while it lasted.