New Adventure #1- Happy Hour

In my last post about new ideas for 2014, I wrote about joining a social club. My motivation is that if I am not dating, or really, even if I am, I need to enjoy more of life. It's been a tough 3 almost 4 years. I don't want to miss out on my life when I could be doing more and enjoying more of it. Yes, my normal schedule is busy, but I do not want to work or do chores all of the time. Also, it's not realistic to expect my friends and dates to be the soul source of my entertainment. I do fully believe that life is better when shared, but I don't want to be a 3rd wheel all the time.

Well, today was my first happy hour with the one of the groups! I had a fun time... a successful time! Chatted with a few ladies at my end of the table- though there were many more people, both male and female, that I did not get to talk to. I consider it a success because 1) I would do it again 2) there were people there that I could see becoming real friends with.

Anyhow it seems I can be as active as I want to be. There are meet-up groups for almost everything. There are dancing lesson groups, intellectual groups, site seeing and day trip groups, etc. One of the ladies and I talked about taking a line dancing class That sounds fun and embarrassing at the same time! But, perhaps I will do it anyway!

I won't commit to how many outings I will attend or which type, but I will promise to write about the adventures! The mission is to have more fun in 2014, whether I am dating or not, whether my kids drive me crazy or not, or whether money is tight or not. You get the idea!

So, here's to being braver and more adventurous in 2014! Maybe we will all have a good time! 

New Ideas in 2014

2014 has brought me some new ideas and new hopes. 

I wrote before that a friend had encouraged me to write a book about my online dating experiences. Instead, I started a blog... more or less to hold the memories and/or stories that I want to share. Then, almost immediately after I started the blog, I decided to quit online dating. As you can imagine, that hasn't added many more dates for me to write about.   

To be honest, when I deleted my online dating profiles, there had been someone that I had hoped to see again. It was the first date I had been on in a while that I was super excited about. So, what happened?  Well, for starters, he was a pilot, and was away more than he was in town. Secondly, I don't think he was particularly tech savvy- no texting or messaging. Lastly, I don't think the distance worked in my favor. It would have been nice to have "absence make the heart grow fonder", but alas, it did not work out that way. 

After leaving 2 chipper voice mails again this week telling him that I would like to catch up, I have deleted his number from my phone. 

So what's a girl to do now? I am still determined that I need more social activity to keep me balanced. 

I did something today that may prove interesting to my social life. I found 2 social groups that host different activities. One is a women's group, another a mixed group  that does more happy hour type stuff. 

I have signed up for 2 happy hours already! Perhaps I will have things to write about after all! 

I have also started writing some freelance articles on divorcedmoms.com. My second article should be published soon!  So, all in all, 2014 is starting off interestingly. Perhaps there is hope left in this middle aged discouraged body. Truly, I know there is hope. 2013 was not my year! 

Hoping happiness follows hope. In all honesty, I am still a hopeless romantic. Is that crazy?

Feel free to email me here nvalady@gmail.com or via twitter @nvalady1

#social clubs, #dating over 40, #divorcedmoms.com

Happy 2014 and God Bless!