Where's Prince Charming?

After yesterday's blog post someone pointed out to me that my happily ever after was missing something that is usually seen as the culminating component of any story: prince charming. I don't label myself a girl-power feminist, and the lack of a lover in my story can be attributed to stubbornness, independence, and happiness; characteristics that I would recommend for all people not just women. So although this post might seem like an amen to man-hating-feminism and female empowerment, I would like to encourage everyone to see this is a gender neutral state of mind.

When it comes to relationships, I think cheesy pop songs do a great job of simplifying life down to a few generic catch phrases. So I'm going to use a few of my favorites to describe my life. Sorry the videos aren't embedded, I'm blogging from my phone which has limited editing capabilities.

1. Kenny Chesney- Save it for a rainy day
My ex-husband decided to let me know he was leaving me via text message (very mature) when I was on my way to visit my brother in the White Mountains. 10 hours into a 17 hour drive and I had a choice: I could let his decision devastate me or a could keep going forward. The choice was easy. It is hard to be upset about anything when you are sitting on top of a mountain gazing into a world full of potential for adventure. Hiking is a great metaphor for life: no matter what happens your only choice is to just keep moving forward.

2. Demi Lovato- Really don't care.
When I came back from the White Mountains my house was pretty much empty and I had a mountain of legal issues to deal with. Most notably my ex took my Mustang, refused to pay for his own car insurance, crashed my mustang, and then expected me to clean up his mess. Spare me the pity party and listen to Demi. This applies to pretty much every aspect of life. Your life is in your hands. Whatever happens is a consequence of your own choices, so don't expect other people to solve your problems. I have no patience for people who aren't self-reliant.

3. Jennifer Lopez- Ain't your momma
Looking back on my marriage, I realize I got myself into a situation where I was responsible for a man child. I'm not sure why I ever found caring for an adult who had the life skills of a toddler so endearing. I guess it was nice to feel needed, but you know what feels even better: taking care of yourself and prioritizing your own growth. Not to sound like a complete narcissist, but I think focusing on yourself should be a priority. Maybe I'm taking things too far, but after wasting 6 years of my life trying to make someone else happy, my only motivation is to make myself happy, and I'm not willing to compromise my happiness in any way. Which means there is no room for altering my routines, plans, and goals to make room for someone else.

4. Meghan Trainor- No
Too many people are wasting their lives searching for "the one." Just about every single person I know is on tinder, match, or some other ridiculous dating app. I don't feel like there is any void in my life and I'm sure as hell not going to waste any time "searching" for someone. I mostly see other people as interferences. I have no problem making friends if there is a genuine connection or mutual interests. However I have high standards for all people and don't have the patience to spend time with people who don't meet my expectations.

5. Meghan Trainor- Me Too
Ok so now it's time for me to sound super conceited: I love where my life is going, and I know that who I am and all that I have accomplished is a direct result of the choices I have made. Especially when I was thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I had people fawning over me and acting like what I was doing was a big deal. I hate hearing people say "I wish I was more like you" or "I wish I could do stuff like that." Stop wishing and make it happen. If your life is lame or you are unhappy it is your own fault. Figure out what you are doing wrong and fix it. I don't think I'm doing anything remarkable, I just do what makes me happy, and I'm unwilling to settle for anything other than perfection. I'm stubbornly determined to make the absolute most of my life. That doesn't leave time for searching for prince charming. 

So that's pretty much it. I promise I'm not a man-hating feminist, just a fiercely independent and strong-willed individual.  My happiness is not contingent on anyone else. We get one life to live and I've wasted enough of mine on other people. Who knows, maybe I will eventually meet someome who will sweep me off my feet, but lucky for me my feet are perfectly capable of climbing up mountains on their own.