Small Town Kid

I went to Dallas this weekend...and I loved it. I love my friends. I was so so happy to see them. But, as it turns out, I am not a big city girl.

There are definitely some disadvantages to living away from civilization. Examples:

• If I want ice cream or chocolate late at night I'm going to have to drive 15 miles to find it. Unless I want to purchase some from the 'Green Store'. Everything in the green store tastes like cigarette smoke. Everything. It's also twice as expensive as usual. But sometimes, it's worth it.
• I can't just go shopping, forget something, and run back to the store. You didn't get toilet paper?? Too bad for you. You don't have enough gas to drive back to town this week.
• I saw an armadillo on my front porch. No, not saw. I encountered. We had a staring contest. Please don't ask who won. It's a sore subject.
• There was a scorpion on my bed on time...and one in my bathtub...and one on my bedroom floor.
• My tap water tastes weird.
• It costs one million dollars to have internet at your house...unless you steal it from the camp. :)
• I only have cell phone service if I'm sitting on one cushion of my couch. I can't move or I lose it. It's not even my favorite cushion. Lame.
• One time some people from down the road chased their pet pig through my neighbors yard. Apparently it had escaped. That's just awkward.
• Starbucks - 60 miles. Walmart - 30 miles. That's enough to make me consider moving. :)

But...to me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I don't think I ever want to live in a big city...and here are a few reasons why:

• Nobody every comes over unless I ask them to. No trick or treaters or Jehovah's witnesses or people selling candy door to door.
• You should see the stars.
• I can be as loud or ridiculous as I want and no one cares. I only have one neighbor who is ever there...and they are louder than I am! (Just kidding Thomas fam:)
• No traffic! Except when you get stuck behind a tractor driving 10 miles an hour on a road with no passing lane....but that is rare.
• I spend less money...because I don't really make 'casual purchases.'
• I appreciate the quiet. No sirens or honking or yelling in the streets. It's nice...to be able to think and write and play the guitar.
• I can walk across the street on a pretty day and sit by the lake.
• I seem to eat better...I just strand myself with nothing but vegetables and water. It works.
• I see a lot of lovely animals. I feel like Snow White sometimes. Okay, that was an exaggeration. They don't sit on my shoulder or help me clean...but they are pretty.
• I can sit on my porch barefoot and read and no one looks down on me.
• Open space! I feel free.
• The air smells good.
• I can do fireworks.

Hahaha...I'm just realizing how white trash I sound right now. I promise I don't sit on my porch barefoot and shoot bottle rockets. Promise. I'm just saying...I could...if I wanted to...which I don't. :)

Of course if God wanted me to move into a big city I would do it. But I've always been a small-town girl. I blame this on my heritage. I feel trapped in big cities...with people on all sides of me all the time. Also, I'm really easily entertained (obviously:). I'm not used to having all types of stores and restaurants close by...so I get really excited about everything. My friend told me I sounded like Buddy the Elf this weekend in Dallas: "Wow look at the tall ceilings!" "Oh my gosh...that guy is wearing a scarf!" Hahaha...It's official. I'm a big dork. So friends, unfortunately I don't think moving to Dallas is in my near future. But I love visiting! And I miss you already. :)

I heard this statement yesterday and it really made me think:

"Sacrificial giving always alters your lifestyle."

When was the last time I gave over and above...in a way that alters the way that I live? I've always felt like I was a giver. I love buying presents and helping people in need...but I want to give...my money, my time, my resources...in a way that alters my lifestyle. I want to put aside my selfish desires and give even when it's tough; even when it hurts. Sometimes it feels like I have such a long way to go.

Work has been INSANELY busy this week. I feel like I'll never finish everything. However, I'm going to Dallas tomorrow! Can't wait to see Toyia and Amy and Jonathan and Amanda and the wedding of beautiful Angie! How exciting. :) I really really miss having people close that I can spend time with...where I don't feel like I have to be someone I'm not. I miss feeling totally comfortable around people. I guess I always feel like I have to be extremely fun or charming...so people will want to hang out with me. I want to get past the small talk and necessary questions and just be around friends that I can talk to honestly. I'm looking forward to that this weekend.

Other exciting events coming up: I'm starting a youth girl's Bible study at my house on Sunday nights and I CAN'T WAIT. Should be ridiculously fun. I'm getting my wisdom teeth out in a few weeks. This is not necessarily fun...but it will be fun for my head to stop hurting because of those dang things. Switchfoot is coming to Corpus next month! Hooray. I'm so in love with Jon Foreman's voice and lyrics. He's a poet. Can't wait to see them.

I'm trying to live in a spirit of gratitude...to see the good in my life..instead of focusing on the things I wish were different. It makes a difference. At least it does for me anyway. :)

Blog question: Do you have New Year's resolutions? Or 'to do lists'? I've been wondering lately if these are a good idea...or if they are just setting me up for failure and disappointment...? Haha...what do y'all think?

Top 10 Requests from your local 20-something single:

1. Please do not try to set me up with everyone you know just because they are also single. Sometimes I wonder if people know me AT ALL. You want to set me up with a guy who loves beer and marching bands? Um...

2. Please don't give me pictures of your grandson. Does he know you're doing that? Really? Because I'm pretty sure he would be quite embarrassed.

3. Please don't introduce me to your single son/favorite guy ever/great nephew/neighbor by saying: "here is the girl I told you about!" This gives me the impression that you have talked me up. I now feel extreme pressure to smile and be overwhelmingly charming. This pressure, in turn, leads to me saying NOTHING CUTE OR COOL AT ALL. Yeah, that's going to work out. I'm so sure he wants to date the girl who just told him 25 interesting facts about Jane Austen.

4. Please don't ask me to babysit every Friday night. I reserve the right to go out with my friends or my brother or eat two gallons of chocolate ice cream. Just let me embrace that right.

5. Please please PLEASE don't pity me. Don't look at me sadly when someone gets engaged. Don't pat me on the back when my ex gets married. This is my number one request. Just don't.

6. Please stop telling me you 'have a really good feeling about this year.' I know you're not talking about a promotion at work.

7. Please stop pushing me out in the middle of a dance floor to try to catch a bouquet of fake flowers.

8. Please stop asking me to go places and then having random guys "accidentally" show up there and introduce themselves. I'm pretty sure this is just a variation of #1.

9. Please don't give me the phone number or email address of a lady you know who is 40 is single. I'm thinking this is supposed to be some type of encouragement but....let's just not okay?

10. Please don't invite me to your 'I hate boys' or 'Let's all wear black and be emo for Valentine's Day' parties. I don't hate boys'. I would like to date one. Also, I love Valentine's Day. You don't have to have a boyfriend to eat chocolate and wear pink. I mean, really.

Ah, the life of Abby. The fun never stops.

I went to a SUPER FUN wedding this weekend and saw some of my precious camp friends. Yay! These three girls were my roommates my first Summer at Zephyr. Room Six for life! :))) So good to see you girls!