Just a heads up! I'm planning on getting my own domain and if you'd like the new location, please shoot me an email at irishash@gmail.com.  Thanks for continuing to follow me :)

EDIT:  I've acquired a new domain and with the help of a few friends, the blog should be up and running again. I'm excited to have my own space!

...because it's broken.  Fractured.  Past the point of repair.  Perhaps the foundation was cracked from the start or maybe the effort was one-sided.
 
Before I continue, I should explain that what you're about to read will not be what is expected of me, blog-wise.  You'll want to laugh at the men that can't possibly be real and situations that would never happen in real life (but they are real and they do, oh.. they do).  Rest assured that those posts will continue, but this one is quite different.

Anyway, back to break ups.  They suck for both parties, but the most important thing to remember is that there is no more relationship.  That sentence in itself is very difficult to swallow.  You'll want to analyze everything that was said and done but in the end you must know that nothing will change.  Why waste time trying to understand or fix something that has already been declared broken?

Some important things to remember:

• There's no doubt about it-breakups suck. But in the first few hours or days or weeks that follow, there's one important truth you need to recognize: Some things can't and shouldn't be fixed, especially that loser who dumped you or forced you to dump him. It's over for a reason, and deep down inside you probably know what that reason is.
  
• Anyone who assesses you or your relationship as "disposable" is not worthy of your time or tears.
  
• Just remember, though, that any reasons you come up with are ultimately irrelevant. The harsh reality is that even if you have EVERYTHING else in common, the one thing you don't have in common is the belief that this relationship can work. & that alone trumps your shared love of puppies, The Dave Matthews Band, and Mexican food.
  
• Awesome thought: The annoying thing that your ex did will never bother you again. I'm sure that your plan to get him back worked out in your head. I'm even sure that it worked out in some movie you saw. But your ex does not have the time to follow a movie script and you shouldn't either. Move on. 
  
• So many of us find ourselves saying "BUT HE WAS SO GREAT!" Yes, and the people who got on the Titanic thought they were going on vacation. Things changed and it's important to remember that they did.

“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source.”

Life has a funny way of throwing little "games" at us when we're least expecting them.  We really have no choice but to play them and to hopefully laugh about it later. Today, I guess my name was pulled from the "haha let's f*ck with someone today" hat.  This isn't my favorite game but luckily I've been pretty victorious for the past decade.  

This game is usually played when two people, who once dated, meet somewhere unexpectedly.  Sometimes this meeting takes place in a bar, or perhaps a mall, or maybe even on the drive home from work.  The rules are simple: Whoever looks better and appears to be the happiest wins.  Bonus points are awarded if the losing player is having an "off" day.  The game is over indefinitely if the winning player is seen with a bf/gf that's more attractive than the losing player.  In the event that conversation occurs between the two players, the player who acts the least awkward will be awarded bonus points.


Did I lose you yet?


Anyway, the game today took place on the ride home from work - in traffic, no less.  Unfortunately, I'm having one of the worst "off days" I've had in a long, long time.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I would scare small children if I were to leave the house without make-up.  It's not looking good for player #1.  Meanwhile, player #2 pulls up to player #1 in his new truck and looks to be having the opposite of an "off day".  At this point, most onlookers would wish the game to be finished.  Thankfully, the gods of traffic agreed and we parted ways.  

Evaluation of the game concludes that Player #2 is the obvious victor and is awarded bonus points caused by Player #1's fail day.  However, no gf/bf was spotted accompanying player #2, so the game may continue at a later date.  Although Player #1 didn't come close to winning, she did take active steps to avoid the bonus points that Player #2 would have gained had they conversed.  It's important to note that pretending to text to avoid eye-contact is an acceptable form of defense.  

If you're forced into this situation, take comfort in the fact that you're not subjected to this game very often AND you may just win.  Today, I wasn't so lucky.

• Group or Individual vacations
• Vacation length
• Accommodations (ex: hostel, economy hotel, etc)
• Local transportation
• Vacation sleeping habits
• How far in advance you need to plan
• Next vacation preferences (where? by land or sea? departing in how many days?)