Finding Abbey Normal

Turkey, dreams, and sweet and sour chicken

2009-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Over the last month I've been randomly talking with Ece, my friend from Turkey quite a bit. I adore her and am happy for the rekindled conversations. I've always felt a strong connection with Ece. I feel like she gets the way my crazy mind works and every now and then when we connect we try to create a window into our worlds for the other to see. With her it isn't talking... it's a story exchange. I'm hoping a visit to Turkey this year works out. I've never been to Turkey and welcome the chance to get a closer look into Ece's fabulous world of Istanbul and the busy life of a Biochemical Engineer. How glamorous. ;)

I hardly ever remember my dreams, but for some reason for the past few weeks I have. Normally I would welcome the "Abbey home movies" but they are all strangely disturbing. I'd like to think of myself as a happy, balanced person who is more likely to dream of flying, cotton candy and talking rabbits. But lately it's been the death of random people I don't know? Do you know that feeling, when you wake up and mourn for the loss of... wait... why am I so sad? I don't even know who (insert name here of imaginary dream guy or gal)... Sometimes I do wonder if in another life we did know these mystery people.

So I've been doing really well with the workout plan and eating healthy. But then THIS week happened. There I was going about my normal day, driving home from work. Then from across the street I could hear the malicious Chinese restaurant calling to me. And of course my ESP and psychic abilities kicked in and I just knew that the Sweet and Sour chicken was waiting for me. **sigh** It won this time, but next time it might not be so lucky!

Xmas and New Years Recap

2009-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

So I finally feel like I've stepped off the twirling ride that was xmas and new years. Both really couldn't have gone better.

It all started off by my flying to Florida and joining my best friend from high school in her neighborhood of Naples. I haven't seen this talented superstar in 2 years, so the reuniting was joyous! Our endeavors included things like Miami, (getting lost in Miami), tour of her tattoo shop and lovely home in Naples, watching the sun set at the beach, yummy food and flamingo dancers at the famous "Columbia Restaurant", water side shopping, and the gem of all time, Shell World, (complete with an extremely creepy taxidermy animal exhibit).

The 3 days went by SO quickly, and then it was off to meet my best friend from college for our cruise to the Bahamas. Ah... this is the life. ;) If only I could be this exciting all the time.

It was Yvon's first cruise and my first just with a friend so it was a new experience for the both of us. We did a little partying on the ship, relaxing on a private island, parasailing, (neat!) shopping of course, and a "Ports and Pirates" tour led by an official fake Pirate. It was a four day cruise and it went by way to quickly. I'm ready for my next vacation again. ;)

New Years festivities were hosted by the ever popular Matt and Sam in their new home in St. Paul. Matt has a pimped out Bar in his basement so it was the perfect location for a gathering. Our white elephant exchange was deliciously ridiculous... including such items like old dresses, a sewing machine, and a book entitled, "How to get it on", (proud winner of the book was Eric Kropp.... happy reading).

I've had a lot of great laughs, good conversations and a face that still hurts from smiling so much. It's times like this when I realize again how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life to share the holiday season with. Each year brings new things and next new years will bring new amazing things, experiences and people. But right now I just can't imagine how life could be any better. Hoping it was just as awesome for the rest of you. Peace out. :)

Something to be proud of.

2008-12-03T21:43:00.000-08:00

So this blog here is new for me. But keeping up with some sort of "life documentation" is something I go on and off having interest for. As a kid I always tried keeping diaries, but would always loose interest, or loose them completely... so later I would come to find many "5 paged diaries" about new beginnings, and how I promised to be better this time and write more often.

Another piece of proof just happened to me to prove I have the same bad habit with blogs! This is a new account, (and I have a horrid memory) so when I signed on to this account I stumbled upon an old account that I had made almost EXACTLY a year ago with 3 blog entries! I totally forgot I had even done it... (that's a typical Abbey moment right there).

It was about my new years resolutions and what I had accomplished in 2007. Being that I am more of a "starter" than a "finisher" apparently... My 2008 goals, and looking back now on how far I've come on them really astounded me. This is truly one of the first years I have stuck with my gut and what is truly important to me. I feel really accomplished, and one of my main goals I'm actually so closed to finishing as the new year is upon us.

So now it has me thinking about next year. In 2007 my big accomplishments were finding a job I enjoyed and volunteering with the peace corps to run an art camp, (amazing and life changing)...

2008 was focused on myself and putting my health first (a brand new concept for me).

So now I'm wondering, what's my next goal this next year? I feel like those last two things where so HUGE for me. No exceptions, this year must top them all... so it's time to ponder. I need to narrow down my list of wants to find one big thing... one big goal to be proud of.

If you find interest in stumbling upon my year old ghost of a blog to see what I'm referencing, you can find it here.

Was that song written for me?

2008-12-03T21:31:00.000-08:00

A song starts as just a song. You’ve heard it on the radio numerous times and it’s only been background noise in your life, until today. All of a sudden your mind tunes into the words and you realize that this singer that you’ve never met is singing about you.

Have you ever had that experience? For a moment I wonder if it’s only I and the poet of the lyrics that get it… that really “get it.” Or is a song just like a generic psychic reading? They all mean something to someone if they are just willing to believe.

Or maybe we really are more similar than we like to think? Human urges for the most part, no matter how unique we think we are... are very similar. Although I’d like to think you wouldn’t find another copy of me and your run of the mill Wal-Mart. One can only hope.

My "Bucket List"

2008-11-18T16:35:00.000-08:00

I tried to make it to 50, but for now I'm landing on 47... I like the idea of a bucket list because it makes you realize the possibilities are endless, and it gives you exciting things to look forward to. Here's my active list of things I haven't done yet. Hoping to hit 2-3 off the list each year.

1) Ride on the back of a motorcycle
2) Send a message in a bottle
3) Stay/sleep in a castle
4) Full body massage
5) Hot air balloon ride
6) Write, (and actually finish this time) a full song
7) Xmas party in July!
8) Ride a camel (in Egypt in front of the pyramids of course)
9) Stay the night in a haunted place
10) Make a scrap book of my bucket list!
11) Be at goal weight
12) Strawberry/apple picking
13) Find and Marry someone I love!
14) Have kids and give unselfishly to their needs.
15) Peace Corps
16) Learn to play guitar
17) See the Northern lights in Tromso, Norway
18) Climb a big crazy mountain
19) Write a book/set of poems
20) Die my hair a crazy color- leave it in for a month
21) Experience weightlessness
22) See an erupting volcano
23) Salem during Halloween
24) Australia
25) New Zealand
26) Tattoo
27) Bungie jumping
28) Turkey
29) Serbia
30) India
31) Morocco
32) Visit all 50 States
33) Be in a submarine
34) Hold a benefit and raise money for a good cause
35) Weekend Spa package
36) Learn 10 awesome magic tricks
37) Masters Degree
38) Join Toast Masters
39) Commit to volunteering to one thing, consistently
40) Learn more Adobe Flash awesomeness
41) Join a chorus
42) Nose ring
43) African Safari
44) Go to a masked ball
45) Learn Spanish fluently
46) Own and run my own business
47) Save someone's life... in some way

Truths I’ve learned

2008-11-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

So I've been giving this list a lot of thought. It's compiled from observations of myself, the world around me, and several interesting conversations. I believe these all to be true, but I can't say that I follow them religiously. It is my goal to keep trying.

Genuine Friends are hard to find: People that will truly do anything for you because they really care about your well being, not what they have to benefit from you. When you find these people, fight to keep them an active part of your life and give selflessly back to them. They are worth the investment.

You are in control of your Happiness: He doesn't treat you right? Leave. Not happy at work? Apply somewhere else or educate yourself to better your situation. There are lots of things in life we choose not to alter, but very few that can't be.

Help others: Give of yourself to help others realize their full potential. Self esteem and the opportunity for success can make a world of difference to someone who doesn't have them. If you can, give these things freely.

Say thank you: Time is precious. When others spend their allotment going out of their way to do something to please or assist you, that is no small gift. Let them know you appreciate them, and that their efforts aren't for nothing.

Invest in yourself: You deserve to put yourself first. Take time to relax. Treat yourself to simple pleasures. Make it a priority to educate yourself about who you are and what you really want out of life.

People give love the way they wish to receive it: A friend recently brought this to my attention. The more I thought about it, about myself, and others, the more I realized it was true. That's why grandma buys you those Victorian dolls you never showed interest in, or why your best friend serves you soup when you're feeling ill. Because they care, and what better thing to give than something they know they would appreciate themselves? Take a moment to think about the important people in your life... do they make you presents, surprise you with weekend trips, or cheer you up with jokes? Try giving that type of love back to them in some way. See what type of reaction you get.

Regrets suck more than rejection: Wounds heal, regrets fester for life.

If you can't bring yourself to accept, find a way to understand:
Everyone has that person in life they just don't get, or some type of person they see as a threat or enemy. Maybe their moral standards are different, or they value different things in their life than you do. You don't have to agree with everyone's point of view or choices. But find a way to understand why they see what they see. You make the choices you make based on what you know about yourself and what you think you know about the world. If someone truly believes they see the right, try to understand how they drew that conclusion based on what type of circumstances shaped their life. Understand it, and hopefully in time you'll accept them for their individual views and for what they are.

Tell the truth: Sounds cheezy, I know. At some point the truth always comes out. Either it builds up until you can't hold it in, you decrease the quality of the type of person you're trying to be, or you weaken the foundation you've worked so hard to build with someone. Is it worth it? I used to tell little white lies to spare others feelings, or to keep myself safe from putting myself out there... afraid of being laughed at or turned down for thinking or doing something differently. Wouldn't you rather know the people around you like you for who you really are, and not just for who you pretend to be? I get lost easily, I'm horrible at math and geography, more forgetful than your 80 year old grandpa and am fairly naive. The people I love most in this world know these things, and accept them.

It's OK to be scared:
It's ok. Being scared means a few things. Either you are out of your comfort zone, or your putting your real self out there and are afriad you will be harmed because you feel so exposed. The harder things usually feel the most amazing in the end if you acheive them. But how will you know if you don't try? It's ok to put yourself on the line first. Before someone else puts their heart out there. Better to know how things might have been, then to be 80 years old on your death bed thinking... "If only I would have told him I liked him... but I was too scared to hear that he didn't like me back." Honestly... won't that excuse sound so lame 50 years from now?

Find balance: Fulfillment must come equally from loved ones, and purposeful life/work accomplishments. Being loved but feeling unsuccessful, or feeling successful with noone to share it with never works out. If it did, then Hollywood would be filled with perfectly happy people and magazines would have no drama to write about.

Let me introduce myself. I'm AbbeyNormal.

2008-11-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

Well hiya and hello there. I decided it was time I interacted a little more with the digital world around me. A place where I can reflect, learn, and share random information.

Who I am: I love culture, hole in the wall places, people in general and what makes them who they are. Traveling and discovering hidden treasures and how other people live. My heart is a little hippie though I really don’t look it. I think some of the most beautiful things out there aren’t manmade, but just natural and untouched. I have a really deep side that loves to analyze everything, and another side that is just crazy silly and always laughing. An art chick that loves dabbling in lots of different medias. I’m blessed to have a wonderful circle of friends and good family.

As you may have guessed thus far, my name is Abbey and I'm pretty normal. By that I mean I'm terribly insane, just like everyone else out there. The difference with me lies in the fact that I know that's what makes me just like you. We all have little, (or huge) quirks that make us who we are. Sometimes we hide them so not to come off as different, and then there are those of us that display our quirks to the world to prove that we are unique.

After much thought I've decided that we're all looking for the same things in life. To feel like we belong, to be content or happy, acknowledged in some way, loved, and to have some sort of affirmation that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

So I feel like I kind of know this "Abbey" person. But just when I think I've got her all figured out she always seems to surprise me. Do you know someone like that too?