Stuck in the Bathroom

I was in Stockholm, Sweden sightseeing when I had the urge to use the bathroom. I asked around and was told there is a public bathroom not too far from where I was. I was shown the way and then left to figure out what I’m supposed to do. The place I was led to turned out to be a one-room public walk – in bathroom. In order to use the facilities I would have to insert two coins.

By the time I figure all of this out, I’m in desperate need to relieve myself or all will be shamefully displayed. So I fish out two coins and fly into the bathroom. The bathroom is a one room with no windows and a solid metal door. The door slams shut and I precede to hand everything I have bought so far, all my souvenirs, on this one hook on the door. The time is ticking and I know I will be doing it in my pants any second now.

Traveling While Single

When I was growing up, I heard parents say to their children “You can go anywhere your heart desires, once you are married.” I hated that saying with passion. I could never understand why life has to begin once you are married. Is that to say we women, as a collective, are brain dead and can’t make smart logical decision on our own? Then what about the rest of the world? What about those parents that let their daughters travel, those parents must be crazy. Right?

I have to say, I’m happy about my decision to not let that phrase get in the way of my life. Though in the beginning I had to struggle to get things my way. I had a really over protective father, extremely over the top over protective father. The kind of man who would keep his daughters locked up till they are ready to be shipped off. A man who didn’t listen to anything anyone had to say, ever.

Being Single

БАБЫ КАЮТСЯ, ДЕВКИ ЗАМУЖ СОБИРАЮТСЯ

“Babi kautsya, devki zamuzh sobirautsya”

In literal translation this idiom means– Married women wish to be single, while single women wish to be married. Or, the grass is always greener on the other side (at any age).

In my culture when a girl turns 18 she is good and ready to be married (“shipped off” as I call it). Most girls are married before they reach the age of 23. By the time they turn 25 there is only a scarcely few that are still single. My friends always ask why am I still single? I tell them, “Well I’m a force to be reckoned with.”

Though the pressures of marriage are very high, I love that I haven’t caved into the dogma of being an old maiden, as I have been called that once or twice. Whenever I run into my friends the first question they ask me is if I got married. When I tell them not yet, they tell me “good enjoy your life while you still can”. Most of them are married. And those who are not (there is like one) actively seek to be married. All of my married friends have children. At minimum two. Let me remind you, they are all my age – 26 or younger.

What makes You unique?

Quick background:I’m 26, still single and very much happy about it. FYI, I have finally been de-brainwashed – not interested in being married for the sake of marriage.
All of my friends are married, and so are most of my cousins. Those who are not, we are really trying to get rid of them fast!!!! Lol
In my family, I’m the rogue one who can’t seem to settle down. There has got to be something wrong with me, right? lol

My grandmother is relentless in trying to find a man for me ASAP. In her eyes I am too old to be single. My only salvage is that I look really, really young for my age. I love my grandmother, and I know she means well, that’s why I laugh my head off when she says these things (it wasn’t the case many years ago, but it’s for another post all together). Her mentality is of the way back when (1960s from Soviet Union!). Anyway on with the story…

Which Path to Take???

I have many options I can entertain. After many online quizzes, I now know that I’m an artistic soul. Though I knew this about myself, I was always hesitant about being open to it, because I was unsure how my family would perceive me. I knew my friends were 100% supportive of me, in whatever I did, however my family wouldn’t allow me to go into a field that is creative. There is no money in it. Not in the beginning anyway.

So my choices seven years ago were very limited. I couldn’t become a teacher (no money in it) so I had a choice of being an accountant, a pharmacist, or IT. I definitely didn’t want to be a pharmacist. WAY too repetitive, and plus everybody was doing it at that time. I didn’t want to be in IT, or a computer major. I love computers but not to that extent. Jewelry business was out of the question, not for girls. Though I could have been good at it. It’s after all selling, and I love selling what I love to wear, and jewelry is one of my passions.

Life’s Many Decisions

One of the hardest decisions for me right now is which path to take next. Do I move out on my own? Or do I stay and try to make due with what I have for the next year, and make my decision then? I have wanted to move away for a while now, four years to be exact. But my instability in holding a job down longer than a year makes me weary of making such a commitment. I don’t want to be held by a job that I will hate only to sustain a living. I want to be happy with what I do. So far it hasn’t been the case.

I have been an accountant for seven years now, and over these seven years I realized that accounting is not the right path for me. On the contrary, it’s the path I chose because of fear and inability of making my own decision seven years ago.

I went to school to become a math teacher, and when my family found out what I wanted to major in, they contested. A friend recommended I take an accounting course and see how I like it. I did, and got an A in the class. Then took another class just to see if the first one was a chance A. I got an A-. So I decided to stick with accounting. Most of my classes were hard but somehow I managed to pass them all with the lowest grade of a B+. And since these scores were by far the highest I have ever had in my entire education span, I managed to brainwash myself into thinking that accounting is what I am good at.