10 Weeks No Meat!!

I land in England in a few hours and I have made a decision. I am going to be a vegetarian/vegan while I am over there. Alcohol is veggie, right? And I am not going to have sex. Thus begins my 10 Weeks of No Meat!! (I know it’s crass, but I like the play on words. It always makes me giggle when anyone refers to a man’s package as “meat”.) Besides, you know I can’t just do one thing. There has to be a hook.

There are several reasons why I’d deprive myself of sex and beef for the next 10 weeks. After reading “The Veganist” by Kathy Feston and “The Kind Diet” by Alicia Silverstone this summer, I cannot, in good conscious, eat meat again. I know that in my life I will be given circumstances where I have to eat meat because it’s the only option. I am done making two Thanksgiving dinners, so there’s another one. And I’ll eat whatever my mother makes for me. But right now? When it’s just me and I am perfectly happy eating beans out of a can? A meatless existence it is!

And the no sex? Easy! I’m in grad school! When am I going to sleep, let alone with anyone? My reading list is two pages long. I have no interest in starting anything with anyone here, including the cute British boys I haven’t met yet. I am here for one thing- my masters degree in acting. I’m not here to find a husband. I’m not here to sleep around. I’m not here to do anything but become a smarter and technically better actress. My celibacy will probably prove to be a powerful tool in warding off potential suitors. I’ll just tell them I’m not interested and move on. And for the persistent man who cannot take “no” for a final answer because I am so gorgeous? Well, I’ll just tell him I already have a cute British sex slave waiting for me at home. That should work, right?

I’m confident this is an excellent decision. No meat to clog up my brain or my digestive system. Eventually no dairy. If I like it, I'll continue the veggie lifestyle into my next two terms. No British man demanding my time and clogging my emotions or my heart, leaving me free to concentrate on school work. I have a tendency to obsess with boys and how they see me. I focus on why or why not someone wants to sleep with me. I compare myself with the women who have boyfriends and wonder why I'm not good enough to have someone. Me and love is a hot mess. So I'm taking it off the table. I'm going to work on ME and what I want in this life and what I can someday offer to someone. This is my year to grow as an artist and I cannot have some 3 month international fling mess that up.


I’m entering this new country, and this new chapter in my life, with a clean slate. I have confidence this is the best decision I’ll make over the Atlantic. Because my choice in airplane food left something to be desired!

Any interest in going meatless with me? Read “The Veganist” or “The Kind Diet” and you might be more interested in joining me! It’s only 75 days. You can do it! (I’ll throw in Thanksgiving Cheat Day as an incentive if that’s easier.)

Dating tips from the front lines – Part 2

I’m heading into another week on this ride known as life, and I have more to share about dating and boys. Last week proved to be a week of growing pains and I have no interest in any other singleton out there going through the same pain. I survived and you can too. Here we go:

- Blogging is not always a good way to get a guy on your side. My blog is funny and honest and walks the line of appropriate. However, if the guy you just made an example of gets his feelings hurt, maybe it’s too far. Or is it? After writing about my chance meeting last week the boy wrote me a letter explaining his side of things. He had read my blog and told me he didn’t realize how much I had been hurt by him not calling. It was obvious he was really upset and I have to admit I took a little comfort in that. He hurt me (a little) and I was glad he got to see my side of things. So lesson learned - write what you want to write, but be ready for the fall out. Be damn sure you are standing strong on your side of the story.

- Sending provocative pictures to someone you have never slept with is never a good idea. NEVER. Once you have a picture of them feel free to send and send and send. But you have to have something in your back pocket for when they feel jilted. You don’t want to be the only one without collateral.

- Women- STOP PAYING FOR YOUR MEALS!! If you are on a date, and it is called a date, DON’T PAY! It sounds sexist, 1950’s, and goes against everything we’ve been taught about independence and self reliance. But trust me. If you want to see this man again, if you want to actually date him, do not pay. No one ever got laid by going dutch.

- For women- Do NOT call him. Do NOT text him. Do NOT Facebook him. Do NOT tweet him. Leave him the hell alone. He knows how to get ahold of you, I promise. He knows where you are. And he will find you. If he doesn’t then he doesn’t want to. And who wants someone who doesn’t want them?

- For men- Do NOT call/text/tweet/post or anything to a girl you think is on the fence. All we see is communication. We don’t make the distinction between “friend I’m saying hi to” and “woman I want to sleep with”. Until the lines are clearly drawn, leave us alone please. We have other men out there who aren’t being vague and we need to leave the lines open for them.

- Sometimes men want meaningful conversations. The good boys want to connect with you. I know, it’s crazy. I was taught that you sleep with them first and THEN wrangle them into hour-long discussions about life. Apparently that is not the case with all men. Just be warned ladies. You might have to actually talk to them.

- Gay isn’t always gay. Straight isn’t always straight. Sometimes they are walking the fine line of undecided. All you need to decide is if it’s worth walking with them.

I hope this helps. I am certain there will be more. This summer is proving to be a learning experience in more ways than I ever thought possible. And I’m not even in grad school yet.

Happy hunting!