One Year Later

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been back in California for an entire year. It was October 23, 2013 when I got on a plane back to the United States, after living in Croatia for over a year. I had no intentions of staying here, wanting to go back to Croatia as soon as possible. I had planned on getting a temporary job to make some extra cash and then be back in Croatia by March for another fun filled Croatian adventure. I was determined to go back to Croatia. So determined that I left most of my clothes and belongings over there, thinking that if I didn’t bring anything back to California, I’d have to go back. I left Croatia with barely half a suit case, figuring I’d be back soon enough. One year later, here I am, still in California with a completely new wardrobe…Clearly, I didn’t think this through…

It being a year and all since I moved back, it’s natural to reminisce on that last year and all that has happened. So what have I been up to in the last year? Well, for one, I have clearly neglected my poor blog, hence why I decided to dust the old thing off and use it again…Why not, I mean, I am a writer after all.  The last year has been filled with many new and wonderful things. First, I found a good job that pays fairly well. I got a great apartment with all the amenities that I pay up the ass for, but it’s totally worth it. I even bought a car; my first. I reacquainted with old friends and spent lots of time with my family. Most importantly, I met a wonderful man and fell in love. I FELL IN LOVE…WTF.

Had anyone talked to me a year ago, there was no chance in hell that I was ever going to give up my single life; my FREEDOM! I was single and loving every second of it! When I made the decision to move back to California permanently, it wasn’t for a man, it was for me. The apartment was an apartment that I wanted, and the things I bought were for me. My new adventure consisted of living on my own, and hanging out with my friends and family whenever I wanted. The era of crazy, wild, partying Marina was over, and the era of mellow, laid back Marina had begun. Perhaps “era” is a dramatic word, but let’s go with it. I mean, looking back, I’ve been through some interesting eras in my adult life…If I had to summarize my last ten years, I would list them out as follows:

The Self Righteous Era – This era consisted of me being completely closed minded and insisting I had all the answers when in reality I was just naïve and dumb.

The First Love Era – Who could forget the era of first love, where I was blinded by the fact that my ex was a complete asshole and nobody liked him (I am constantly reminded of this fact by, well, everyone). Again the word, DUMB comes to mind.

The Heartbroken Era – That was an interesting time in my life. That was a time when I was completely devastated by the asshole ex-boyfriend who took everything and kicked me out of our apartment. (Maybe I’m being slightly dramatic, but not by much) Devastated and heartbroken, I was a bitch to EVERYONE I came in contact with. (Sorry)

The Croatia Era – It could also be known as the “Fuck it, I don’t really care anymore, and I’m staying single forever and partying my life away Era”. It was a time in my life where I came to terms with the fact that I failed, miserably, at my relationship. That I, in fact, had no clue what I was really doing, and that I really need to chill out and have some fun. And boy, did I have fun! And I have no regrets about that time in my life, because that was the time where I learned the most about myself. I accepted who I was and no longer cared about trying to be someone I’m not. It was the best time in my life and definitely calmed me down.

The Content Era – This is the newest era that I have arrived in. It’s a feeling of contentment with my life and where I am. I’m at my most comfortable self. I have embraced every part of me and found happiness on my own. It’s a good place to be…

And so, it is in this era that I fell in love. To say it was easy would not be accurate. Don’t get me wrong, I liked him immediately and had a massive crush on him, but I did my very best to stay away from him. After all, I was single and happy and didn’t want to set myself up for any more pain. I tried my hardest to keep my distance, but to no avail. He was unaware of my plan to stay single for the rest of my life, and he just kept stopping by to talk to me. There was just something about him that I couldn’t resist. I loved talking to him. He has the best stories! And, boy, can he talk! He talks just as much as I do! We just kept talking and the more we talked, the more I wanted to be around him. It took several months, but I finally gave in and I’ve never looked back. We make each other laugh, we talk for hours, and we are rarely apart anymore. But it wasn’t until my sister spent time with him, that I finally realized that I had a really great guy on my hands. My sister came up to his place one weekend and we were all hanging out drinking; having a good time. At the end of the night, my sister hugged him. HUGGED HIM!!! If you know my sister, then you know why I’m using caps. She is not the warm and fuzzy type and if she doesn’t like you, she doesn’t hide that fact. SHE HUGGED HIM! I was with my ex for four years and she never once hugged him (she despised my ex) so you can understand why that means so much to me. It’s not only her, so far, the people closest to me have liked him and see how happy he makes me. He’s someone very important to me; my partner in crime, my confidant and being around him makes me incredibly happy. It’s something that I never expected, and, yet, I’m so glad he came into my life. I’m so glad that I stayed in California…

What can I say, it’s been a wild ride, and I don’t think it will slow down anytime soon. I have had an amazing couple of years and it just keeps getting better and better. I hope that I can continue to write and one day, I’d love to finish my book, but right now, I find peace in being near my amazing family and friends; in being able to spend time with those I love, and having a life I never expected to have, but am so thankful that I have it.

To all of my friends and family, thank you for putting up with my crazy ass! I am one lucky girl…

I’m so looking forward to my next adventure.