Same girl, different city?

I went to NYC this past weekend for some much needed R & R. And by R & R, I mean wining and dining, shopping, seeing a show, going to MoMa, etc :) It was nothing short of fabulous. Of course, it brought up the ongoing question in my life-should I move there? I have been contemplating a move for some time now. You see, if you know me, you will know that I like to move. I moved to Tucson, AZ to attend the University of Arizona when I was 18 years old. Then I moved to Athens to attend the University of Georgia. Next, I moved to lovely Charleston, SC in the hopes that I would live the dream seaside. With a much younger and unsettled boyfriend in tow, I moved to Atlanta where I now reside (sans le boyfriend, thank goodness). This May will mark two years since I last moved. It is time to move again.

I don't know why I seem to live such a nomadic lifestyle. Even when I am living in the same city for several years, I tend to move at least once/year if not more often. I guess I just like the idea of a fresh start in a new place. Am I running from something? When I was younger (i.e. 18, 19, and 23), that was most definitely the case. Now that I am older (and I would like to think wiser), I am in constant search of well, ME. I used to be on a 24/7 man-hunt. I have mostly given up on that idea and have decided to re-focus the search party on finding my true self. Am I am girl or a woman? Am I a Bible beater or someone who knows their beliefs but lets others chose for themselves? Do I want to live at the beach or in the city? Do I want to try to have children or adopt? Am I a glamazon or boho chic? Who am I?

I do know that I crave adventure, travel, and meeting new people. I want to see, do, love, learn, dance, sing, walk, swim, and GROW. I want to walk out the door and not know who I am going to meet that day and what is going to happen to me. I yearn for excitement, for romance, and for stones left unturned. Could the next chapter in my life be in the most exciting city in the world? We will all have to wait and see. My only fear is that I will still be the same girl in a different city. I want to meet the next Elle...the 28 year old Elle who dreams, loves, and lives life to the fullest.

You've Got Mail

I have been contemplating writing this blog for quite some time now as I knew it might be a touchy subject for some people. I just have one question for the general public: "WHERE HAVE YOUR MANNERS GONE???" It is in all caps because I am extremely perturbed when I think about this topic. I feel like I can't have a conversation or share a meal with someone without that person either a) answering their phone, b) texting someone, c) checking their email, or d) all of the above. I admit that I am guilty of this at times, but there are many people out there (some of whom are my close friends) who are repeat offenders. I can think of countless meals in the past few months where the person I am with looks at their phone more than they look at me. Trust me, this is not some case of extreme narcissism. I don't need the person I am with to stare at me throughout the entire meal. I would just like them to be more engaged in the conversation we are having than who has written on their Facebook wall. I'm not knocking good ole FB either...however, there is a time and a place for that sort of thing and during dinner with your friend is not it.

I can't decide what the root cause of said behavior is. Possible explainations are as follows.

1) The person really is extremely busy, and I should feel lucky to be dining with them. (This is only reserved for key political figures and CEO types.)
2) The person has low self-esteem and feels the need to check all forms of communication to feel better about himself/herself.
3) The person is just plain RUDE and lacks proper etiquette.

For most people I know, it seems to be a combination of #s 2 and 3. While I think iPhones are extremely cool, I would like to have a come to Jesus talk with whoever invented adding email to cell phones. I bet he/she cannot get through one meal without checking their precious email.

To sum it all up, I am not against these advanced forms of technology. It enables me to "work" from remote locations such as Phipps Plaza, the pool, and my bed. That being said let's all try harder to check our email/voicemail/Facebook/Blackberry chat less and check in with each other more often.