Talks with my Twenties: March 16, 2005 - Age 24

Vacation
3/16/2005
 Well, I just got done working out and picking up my paycheck from the Writing Center. Now I'm going to go to the bank, go home, do laundry and get CLEAN. I think I probably reek. I was sweatin like a hog. But hey, no pain no gain....right?

I head to Valpo later to pick up my driver's license which I accidentally left with a friend, then, it's off to karaoke to party with my friends. I'm not sure my body or psyche can handle the next 4 days of staying out until the sun rises, but I sure as hell am gonna try!

Besides, it's cold outside, so I can sleep during the day. What else? Hmmmm...... I don't really know, I guess I'm done writing for now.

Hold it right there, missy.

“I head to Valpo later to pick up my driver’s license which I accidentally left with a friend…”

A friend?

Would a friend get drunk to the point that when you let him know you were leaving to spend time with one of your girlfriends, he got incredibly jealous, verbally abusive, and forcefully swung open the door to his apartment and threw you out—making you so scared that you forgot your purse entirely (hence accidentally leaving your license)?

No, that is not a friend. 

And I wish I could go back in time, hug you and say, "Tiff, you don't have to call that guy your friend. You don't have to call him anything. As a matter of fact, you never need to think about or interact with a guy like that again if it doesn't feel okay. That is not acceptable behavior."

I think you knew it, but you weren't strong enough to set up that boundary yet. And that's okay.

Truth be told, it takes you years. And even now you sometimes find sticking to your boundaries challenging. But you've definitely gotten a lot better about it. 

As for staying out until the sun rises on your vacation – good for you, young Tiff. That’s a rarity these days, so I’m glad you got to experience it when you did.

But trust me, you’re okay with this…because now there are these amazing ways to spend your evenings in called “Netflix” and “Hulu Plus…”

Weekend nights start like this…

…and end like this.

P.S. Kudos on going to the gym. You tend to go in waves. Currently you're on the "I'm just waiting until it's not 400 degrees below zero before I hit the gym again" wave.  

And that's cool.