International Advantages

So far in my experience, there have not been many advantages having an international relationship. I won't bore you with the predictable disadvantages (plane tickets! moving! language barriers!), but instead I want to shed some light on some unexpected advantages.

Sports Fans
Some hard core fans would recommend dating outside your own conference, because how could an Eagles fan like myself live happily in the same house as a Cowboys fan? How about a Yankees/Red Sox romance? When dating an American, you always find out early where your potential partner's loyalty lies. For me, that was never a problem. Aron didn't know the difference between National and American League baseball, so it was relatively easy to convince him that the Phillies were the best (especially after their World Series win!) baseball team. I also had no loyalties within the Eredivisie (Dutch soccer league), so I had no problem accepting that Ajax Amsterdam was the best.

The only time our nationalities have influenced our sports viewing pleasure was during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Dutch hearts everywhere were broken when Sven Kramer WENT IN THE WRONG LANE! OMG THE WORLD JUST ENDED!!!! We were with a lot of family when the US speed skaters faced the Dutch team in the semi-final men's relay. The winner would race for gold and the loser would race for bronze. After much trash talking before the race, (not from me, for once) the room got pretty quiet as the US led by one second, then by two, and I forget the final difference, but their hearts were broken again. USA finished with silver, and the Dutch team won bronze with a faster time than the US and whoever won gold. Hearts. Broken.

No In-Law Competitions
I have seen some pretty hard-to-deal with in laws. Grandparents insisting that they want to see their new granddaughter AT LEAST every two weeks. Heck, I've even heard of a woman who's MIL can't even be in the same room as her own family. No matter how terrible or wonderful your in-laws are, it's always a balancing act, trying to make sure one set isn't favored over the other. And if step parents are also involved, my heart goes out to you. I can't imagine balancing three or four sets of parents! And that's good, because I don't have to balance ANY!!! Which parents should we go to for Christmas? EASY! The parents that are in the same country as us. Whose turn is it to babysit the Little Monster? SAME ANSWER! The only balancing we have to do is alternate Christmases. EASY! Seriously, if you have in-law issues, I would try to convince one to move far, far away. It sure has made my life just a little bit easier.

Day 7: Favorite Childhood Toys

Growing up in a house of three girls, there was one type of toy that seriously overwhelmed our house. And I know I'm not original when I say it. We were a Barbie household. For every Lego piece I've stepped on so far, I know my parents have stepped on fifty times as many Barbie shoes wedged in the fibers of our carpet. Their Christmas mornings were spent trying to find and untie all fifty wires Mattel deemed necessary to package one individual Barbie (and her "functioning" boombox of course). Our neighbors across the street had four girls, their youngest around the age of my older sister, and they were happy to give us their crap hand down their boxes full of Barbies, dresses, MORE SHOES and every single excess accessory they could find. I thought it was the best. thing. ever.

I don't remember when we gave all of our Barbies away, or who we gave them to. Childhood is like that I guess. For years, your world revolves around something. I ate, drank, and slept Barbie. But eventually there were days the Barbie box stayed under the bed. Then the box stayed under the bed so long, it started to collect dust. And one day, my parents decided it was time to cut Barbie loose, and they gave my once prized collection away to someone. And I didn't even notice.

Day 6: Zodiac

 Today's challenge: What is your zodiac sign and does it fit your personality? Well  know I'm a Taurus, and that's pretty much all I can tell you. Here are some excerpts from a description of a Taurean woman from iloveindia.com, and how I feel they apply to myself (or don't)

She is capable of handling the severest of problems, without shedding even a single tear.

I think I can handle pretty serious issues, but without shedding a tear? That's not really my style. I cry. A lot. When I had to make the decision to leave my family and friends, it seemed like I could never stop crying. I would cry before I could even start the conversation. And I think faced with severe problems, anyone could handle it. They have to. When faced with a huge problem, you can try all you want to ignore it, but one day you'll have to deal with it. So, no. I don't think this particular Taurean trait applies to me.

Their friends may be a little weird, but they will not be phonies or hypocrites

I only inserted this part of the description because it calls my friends weird. I don't think they're weird. They're my friends. Who knows what other people think. (And quite frankly, who gives a crap? Not me.) When I'm with my friends, we can get pretty weird though. I'll give this point to Taurus.

A Taurus girl doesn't fight with people she dislikes, she simply ignores them and becomes indifferent to their presence.

Well I know this is true. I've heard a quote (I don't know who it's from. oops) "The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference." I certainly try not to hate people; quite frankly it takes a lot of energy to hate someone and avoid them at all costs. I find it better to not cause a scene and act civilly. But Aron's ex who tried to kiss him a couple months after I started dating him? She will always get the stink eye.

The Verdict? I believe horoscopes are written to be so vague that anyone could identify with their designated sign. I'm sure I could liken myself to a few Pisces characteristics if I weren't too lazy to research some more of this zodiac BS. But honestly, I think it's a bunch of garbage and will not waste any more of my time learning about the pseudoscience of astrology.