Would I Do This If I Weren't Single?

"It's so great you're single! Otherwise you never would have done this!" my mother gushed. Was she right? Of course. She's rarely wrong, particularly when it comes to me. Four years ago I spent a semester in Australia because my boyfriend at the time was adament we go. I wanted to go to of course, but giving up our apartment, putting everything into storage, giving up my scholarship to the law school I attended and then taking on $30,000 in debt for one semester of school? I knew that made ZERO financial sense. But love took me with him. Now I pay $450 a month in student loans for the next ten years just for that one semester of law school. I think of him every time I hear the line in "F*ck You," "Cause being in love with your ass ain't cheap."

I've Based Many Decisions on Love. I'm single right now, and have been for about six months. I'm bored. I'm craving adventure. I need a distraction or a reinvention. I was in the elevator at work last week when someone I didn't know described the case he'd just been assigned to that was taking him to London for five months. I darted back to my office and aggressively pursued the opportunity, banging down the door of the partner in charge, hiking up my skirt-- wait, that was Saturday, not Wednesday --- I hiked out my legal resume and the partner agreed to add me to the case. I was Europe-bound.


"It's Destiny." That was the next thing my mother said. If, say, the guy from Waiting hadn't kept me waiting by the phone until I was severely dehydrated and hallucinating him in a mirage-like-state in my living room, I may not have been as eager to go. If I'd been in a relationship last week? I'd probably have made excuses in my mind, allowing myself to not be vulnerable in a different way - to the major partners at the law firm, who frequently reject advances from junior attorneys for plum assignments and trips to other parts of the world. I probably would have thought, "Oh, good for Junior B. That's so cool for him," gotten out of the elevator, microwaved my Lean Cuisine, and never thought of it again.


But no - instead, on my half birthday (32 1/2) I found myself packing and buying six months of food and rawhides for my dogs, who will be watched by a full-time pet sitter who is moving into my guest bedroom Saturday.


Maybe it is Destiny. Maybe the love of my life is British? Will he be more Colin Firth? (From Bridget Jones, the handsome barrister - God I love that English lawyers are called Barristers- so much fancier than "lawyer") Or more Hugh Grant - sexy, silly, outrageous (minus the cheating please)? I'm no American stick insect, but I am American, "something about confidence and all." If the previous paragraph made no sense to you, you may want to rent "Bridget Jones Diary" - aka best movie ever.

I'm about to go live my Bridget Adventure. Granted I'll be spending 12 hours per day, six days a week in a conference room, but at least the room overlooks Big Ben. And the guy in the elevator coming with me? He's awfully cute. Maybe two Americans can fall in love abroad. I'm sure it would't be the first time. Cheers!