Saturday, June 28, 2008

Your Soul Mate*

(from a family photo shoot I did yesterday, check out the photo blog!)

*alternate title for this post would be "Your Soul Mate, Who Doesn't Exist, But Whom we Will Use as an Exercise in Creative Writing"


The best thing that I got from reading I Am America, And So Can You, was a letter from my soul mate. Right there, in the book. He was speaking just to me and made it so clear about why I haven't found him yet. I have been doing everything all wrong. But thanks to Stephen, I think I know how to find him. That's right, you heard me, my soul mate--Stephen Colbert style. While my last blog post was a bit on the heavy side, I have decided to lighten things up and talk about soul mates (save your ooohs and aaaahs for paragraph 4!) Colbert writes poetically, but more importantly, he writes truthfully on just what it takes to find your soul mate. He even has a letter written by your very own soul mate, yep, just for you (and me)!


Hey there. I am your soul mate, the one person on this earth who's perfect for you in every way. Yes, I exist, and yes, everyone else you've been with is a pale subsitute. We're meant to be together, but we've never met.

You see, there are 6 billion people in the world and you encounter at most about 1,000 people per day, so statistically our paths would cross only once every 16,500 years. if we're going to beat those odds you need to work harder, because so far you've done a spectacular job of messing this up.

Remember when you bought that pack of gum and the clerk asked if you wanted a bag, but you were in a rush so you said no? If you'd waited that extra three seconds you would have missed the next train, making you late for the play, so they wouldn't have let you in the theater until the first scene was over, and I would have entered the lobby--also late--and we'd have gotten to talking. We probably would have just skipped the play and gotten coffee and then...Pow! Fifty years of golden summers at the lake house.

Another example: Remember when you signed up for yoga class? You should have signed up for pottery class. I was taking a pottery class!! How hard is that to figure out? And don't just sign up for a pottery class next time, because I might have moved on to hip-hop cardio. I can't tell you exactly where I'll be because if you're really my soul mate you'll just know. Please just get it right!

I guess what I am saying is, next time you think about going to the museum today instead of tomorrow when I'll be there, ask yourself: Do you really want to spend the rest of your life alone? Are you going to take the bus or are you going to walk? If you do walk and it's raining, how are you going to see me under my umbrella, unless I don't have one and you share yours, or I share mine and that's how we meet? So remember: Never leave the house without an umbrella...or with one. It's your choice. I think I explained pretty clearly what's at stake.

Are you reading this at a book store? I'm right behind you. Turn around!

Am I still there?

Gosh, you're a slow reader.

Point is, hanging over every decision you make, however small, is the sword of our loneliness. I am out there. Find me. But please hurry. I know we're meant to be together for eternity, but I can't wait forever.



So do you believe in Soul Mates??? (I want at least one yes, please, someone unjaded and unhurt by love find this blog and give me a good story that will restore all my faith in love and heal all the wounds that have been inflicted upon me!!! I am counting on YOU!)

How did you meet your husband or wife.... or soul mate--if they didn't fit into the first two categories? (Please, someone say they offered their umbrella in the rain, in England, and you both locked eyes and then you ended up talking for hours, and then you went and got coffee served to you by a British lady named Tilley!!! I am in a romantic mood, feed my poetic soul! Make it up if you have to...that's right, I said make up your soul mate and make up how you met. ***)



***I claim all rights and privileges to any and all stories posted and if I end up using one in a novel I am writing and I become rich you can in no way take me to court. I have approved this statement with my lawyer.




So, come on---any good stories out there?

40 comments:

Sugar Jones said...

I love Stephen Colbert and I love how he pokes fun at the Soul Mate concept.

Now, before you go... oh no, it's Sugar... she's jaded... didn't I say no jaded people? Okay... I'll read it:

I did find my soul mate. And he found me. It's just that we are having a really hard time getting our sh** together. We're calling it "Fatal Attraction" right now. It's hard to explain, but no matter what, we cannot deny this pull that we have towards each other. I think sometimes, Soul Mate stories get so sappy that we forget that it's not about the ideal setting. It's about the unescapable desire to be with this person and to make things work.

So there's my not-so-jaded story. I can't give you more or you'll publish it and I'll have no recourse with that legalease you got going on. :)

Boquinha said...

I totally believe in soulmates. I guess you know that by now since you've seen our 100 Things lists. :) I've always believed and haven't ever, ever given up. And honestly? It's even better than I've ever been able to imagine (and I've imagined it as a pretty amazing thing). Well, yep, it's even better than that. :)

D'Arcy, when will you visit the East next? I can see us hanging out, talking books, watching movies, visiting NYC, eating good food, and dreaming of Paris. Sound fun?

Oh, on another note, have you seen Jean de Florette? Manon of the Spring? My Father's Glory? My Mother's Castle?

HWHL said...

D'Arcy, my dear beautiful friend.
You've penned two posts in a row that I've been hesitant to put down how I REALLY feel (notice I didn't actually tackle the "subject matter" on your last post.... )

However, on this one, I'll go ahead and leave a "real" comment...

My sweet Hubster, who I love madly, and who I met when I was all of 17 years old, and who I will be married to for the rest of my life..... is NOT my soul mate. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't believe in soul mates. That's something that Hollywood and Hallmark have created. Now, lest you think I'm jaded (which I'm really not), let me tell you what I AM sure of: I AM sure that God brought this man (Hubster) into my life, and he brought ME into Hubster's life. We met when I was 17 and he was 20. We worked in the same restaurant. He was devastatingly good looking and I couldn't stop staring at him - sometimes I still find myself gazing at him thinking "Wow. I get to sleep with that man whenever I want!" (Sorry if that's TMI.)
We have an excellent marriage (although it has had its share of stormy weather and some very significant ups and downs... sometimes I think we've survived simply through stubbornness!).

However, I full well realize that if I (or he) had been born and raised in, say, Venezuela, or China, or Iceland, we each would probably be happily living lives with other inviduals and would NOT feel a "yearning emptiness" for one another.

Further, I will say (and believe very strongly) that no one person can EVER fill up all the "questions marks" within your soul, and those who search for a spouse who can do that are setting themselves up for an inevitable disaster. Ultimately (my opinion here) I find my personhood, my value and who I truly am as an individual through spiritual channels, and through my relationship to my Creator.

Finally, having said ALL that, I very much believe (and very much ENJOY) romantic, life-long, deep, sexy, full, passionate and committed love.

And, as a side note, I will also tell you this ... Hubster and I have been married 16 years, together for 23. I find the older we get, the more we appreciate one another, and the deeper our love, friendship, and fondness for one another grows.

I really can't imagine being married to anyone else.

Stina said...

I can't wait to read all of the comments to this post. You really have the best blog, D'Arcy, b/c it is always enjoyable and entertaining and thought-provoking to read.

I can be la-la-la sounding and say that yes I found my soul mate since I am so happy and satisfied in my marriage, and I do feel like we are super suited for each other in many very important ways. BUT I think you can have soul mates in your life in many different areas. For example, Dave can't read music and having grown up as the daughter of a musician and having music in my life all the time, I know he is not my soulmate in ALL areas of my life. I don't think you can find ONE person to fulfill all of your needs in life, so (back to my point many commented posts ago) you have to feel fulfilled and complete as your own person first, and then find the matching puzzle piece that fits as many of your nooks and crannies as you can. And preferably that person will also have parts that don't match up with yours, which is how you both learn and grow.

I wish I could say I had a romantic movie story as to how I met my partner, but I'll have to stick with my boring story of meeting him in history class when I was 15 and thinking he was the most hilarious person in the world. Luckily I still think that 13 years later!

Gustav said...

Dear D'Arcy

I love the comments so far including stina's where she met her partner in history class at 15 and was attracted to him because he was hilarious. Stina that is not boring, that is so cool!

I believe the most fertile ground for meeting your partner is not by holding an umbrella for a stranger in front of the Arc de Triomphe, or bumping into someone in the poetry section of a bookstore.

The best forum for meeting a potential long term partner is by getting to know someone under more "connected circumstances" such as seeing them in a history class, or meeting them through friends, or meeting someone you know but with a different lens.

Thats how I met or should I say re-met the first girl I truly loved. I knew who she was in high school but I was in a different group of people than she was. Our "groups" rarely interacted so in high school I just admired her from a distance.

Then I was off to University and I did not even think of her for a year or two. Then on a beautiful fall day at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, I met her while walking up Bascom Hill which is lined with majestic elm tree on both sides.

She was walking towards me. She was wearing a white blouse and jeans and I will never forget how I began to almost tremble with excitement. She looked so beautiful, happy and natural and she was looking at me with the same excitement.

When we finally stood next to each other we could not stop smiling, the chemistry was electric. We really did not know what to say except lets get together and we exchanged numbers. That was the begining of wonderful summer.

And may I say that I still love and admire her and that we have been friends for a couple of decades and still keep in touch once in a while.

My advice is to look around you, get to know someone a bit before you date them, and your partner may just be someone you already know.

Unknown said...

I am excited to respond to all of these!

However, I am about to go see a really good movie. Alone.

Let it be known to the world that if you wake up all dreamy and in a good mood and write some crazy blog about Soul Mates, then the universe is going to play a really good joke and you are going to get stood up.

That's right, my date just canceled on me.

Good thing I am happy with myself. So, off to a movie alone I go!

Unknown said...

This is why I am jaded by the way.

Alisa said...

D'Arcy, I'm sorry about the date. Next time I'll go with you!

My story is so much like Stina's, except we were 16, and it was biology class. That friendship, that came before the romance, was crucial to our romantic relationship that followed. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I have a little different take on the soul mate thing. I am lucky to be married to the love of my life, but he is not my soul mate. To me a soul mate is like a twin for your soul? It's like you think the same? Maybe it's just semantics and that's not what people mean at all?

I much prefer someone different than me, a compliment of me. That's what my husband is to me. He's different. I'm abstract, he's concrete. I'm fire, he's a soothing breeze. And yes, we have similarities, but we definitely have independent thoughts and interests, different ways of processing things, and that's what I've really needed.

I don't think there's "just one" for any of us. There are probably several good ones. Recognizing this makes my marriage stronger. It puts me and my husband in charge, not destiny. It means we have to work to make it work, and not leave it all to fate. Because after all, we're not absolutely perfect for each other. We're imperfect beings who want to be better and love better. It's not automatic, but it's a deliberate choice. To some, this probably sounds so unromantic. But to me, there's nothing more romantic in the world than two people choosing together to forsake all other romantic possiblilities and build a life with only each other instead.

Unknown said...

Sugar--I don't think you are jaded...completely. Soul Mates have highs and lows too.. Hope you hit a high soon.

Boquinha: Yes! Your lists of 100 things were pretty amazing. I would love to see the two of you interact together, I bet it is beautiful. I visit the East quite often, and spend a good deal of time in New York. I know for certain I am there in October, can you come up to the city and let me treat you to lunch? I'll email you and we can plan a time and place!

HWHL: Don't hold back friend. I am learning so much from you and hubster, and I know you have more to teach me. I LOVE and truly admire the both of you, your children, and your little dogs.

And yep, the relationship you have with yourself is the most important.

Stina and Alisa! You and your high school loves. It melts my stone cold heart. I fell in love in high school. He was everything I wanted. We had foods class together. We baked quiche, we stirred batters, we flipped pancakes, we cut potatoes up into healthy little wedges....and after all that, he got a D. Yes, a D in the food's class elective. But, we will always have cranberry scones.

Gus: I love that you both felt that connection drawing you closer as you walked towards each other. I am sure times slowed down a little and you were both aware of each other, captured in time. There is a lot to be said for chemistry.


Alisa--partners who compliment each other is what I am holding out for. I love hearing your experiences with Kevin, you sitting here on my couch, talking to me about meeting your husband and how you both are able to calm each other and love each other and respect each other and well, next time, we won't even bother putting a movie on!


Ahhh, well done friends! I feel all warm and happy inside.

Ruahines said...

Kia ora D'Arcy,
I met Tara through my ex girl friend. She met Tara down in Florida and Tara then came up to Wisconsin to visit her. My ex thought we might hit it off, and we arranged to meet in a bar soon after. I was at the bar and my ex came up, then I felt someone tap my shoulder and turned around, and there stood Tara. It was the only time in my life when my heart jumped a beat and raced, and something inside me knew there was more to this. Unfortunately, Tara's feelings did not match mine, at least then. I pursued her over the next month, and while we developed a nice friendship, not quite the path I had envisioned. Finally my enthusiasm began to wane, and funnily enough her interest suddenly took on new proportions. She had to return to New Zealand within the next few months so while we were madly in love it was also a very emotional roller coaster ride in that this parting grew closer each day. Finally, we ended up in San Francisco, visiting Gustav, and Tara was due to fly out in a few days. She was very grumpy and emotional, more than even the obvious reasons would have dictated. Finally, a little light bulb went off, and Gustav and I walked to a Sausalito chemist for a pregnancy test, which is a story in itself! The little bugger was as positive as it could be, and Tara was flying to New Zealand in less than 12 hours! Those 12 hours were perhaps the ones that have defined my life, to finally understand my values, how to love unconditionally, and maybe even when I actually became a real man, or started to. Tara flew out the next day, somewhat stunned, and I flew to New Zealand six months later, our communication done by massive hand written daily letters. I have lived here ever since, and the baby that was born, my son Taylor, turns 15 in two weeks. It hasn't been always easy, lots of tears, lots of laughs, but it has been worth the journey. By the way, the ex girlfriend who introduced us, came over here with her boyfriend and got married in our back yard. Cheers D'Arcy, sorry to be so long winded, but its a long and continuing story.
Rangimarie,
Robb

Boquinha said...

D'Arcy, how do you know so many interesting people? What great stories!!

YES! Let's have lunch in NYC! I absolutely LOVE the idea!!

HWHL said...

Robb,
WOW - that is a really beautiful story! No wonder you and Gustav have such an incredible bond!

jo said...

i've loved/been in love with maybe 3 different men in my whole life. i'm still not sure what the first two really were. i know that the second one was the most soul mate-ish as far as chemistry goes. that's the only time in my life i've felt such startling chemistry--the kind where the smell of him makes you just about crazy. the first time we kissed we were sitting on a bench, close to the front door of my apartment, and when i got up my knees were giving out. i mean i had to sit down as soon as i walked in because i was literally "weak in the knees." so cliche, but it really happened.
i married someone else. i love him and feel connected to him, but i have never gone weak in the knees because of him. and that's ok with me. you know the story of how we met and it's not that interesting, so i'll spare you, but isn't it funny that he was good friends with the guy that did make me weak in the knees? and that we're still in touch with him? love is a funny and strange thing.
i agree with one of your earlier commenters that no one can be every little thing to you. i have people in my life that i feel like are my soul mates as far as certain things (people like you) and then there's my hubby. he and i are very different in a lot of ways. but once you go through six years of trials, fun times, giving birth to kids, etc. with each other, you kind of become something to each other, even if it's not SOUL MATES, it's something strong, fundamental, something that drills into the core of your being and that can never be taken away from you, no matter what.

Sugar Jones said...

Oh my goodness, Robb! What a story! I mean, okay... kind of a tricky situation to deal with but wow! I'm just picturing Tara getting on a plane and you having to kiss her goodbye, both of you knowing you have a baby coming. What a bag of mixed emotions, huh?

HWHL said...

D'Arcy.... I have a Brilliant Thought (can you see the light bulb illuminating above my head?)

YOU should write the screenplay for Robb and Tara's story. I mean - seriously - Hollywood would EAT THIS UP. Plus, since it's a "true story", it's all the more romantic!

What say you, Robb?
What say you, D'Arcy?

Hmmm.... who should we cast, Robb? Who would you like to play you, and who would Tara like to play her? (This might be fun to mull over....) ;-)

Torrey Jayne said...

A soul mate is the person with whom you are the absolute happiest. Someone who always makes you laugh, even when you're mad because you lost at ping-pong AGAIN. Someone who loves you even if you get mad at them for folding the laundry incorrectly because it's "that time of the month". Someone who will buy you the movie Enchanted, out of the blue, just because they know you love it.

I don't think we're destined to "find that one and only person in this world who was made for us"... but I think potential soul mates are all around us, just waiting for us to give them a chance.

So, attempt to build a relationship with every person you meet! They may end up being a really good friend, or lover, they could end up being your enemy... but maybe, just maybe, they'll be that someone with whom you are the absolute happiest. You never know.

Stina said...

One more comment I wanted to make in regards to my and Alisa's "high school sweethearts" stories (and I don't mean to speak for you, Alisa, so feel free to edit as needed!).

Even though we both met our eventual husbands at ages 15 and 16, neither one of us actually started dating them until many years later, after forging strong friendships. Did I know at age 15 that I would marry Dave? No way! But I did know that he was a person I would have liked to have in my life forever in some form. Once the romance started years later, the foundation was already rock solid.

What gets us through the best and worst of times in our marriage are not the whirlwind weekend trips we took when we were just starting to be crazy in love, but the quiet times we spent with each others' families, observing values and histories, or discussing life ambitions and dreams. I just feel lucky that the person who shares my values and supports my dreams is also the one I want to snuggle in bed with at night!

Kimbie said...

I found my soul mate about 4 years ago. We become long distant lovers- and he moved to be near me. We had an epic kind of love. Where the thought of one another made anything in life seem completly possible. But, I was not yet who I needed to be. I had to let him go in order to find myself. He moved on to find new love- although we both still say that a love like the one we shared is hard to come by.
So now, my soulmate is found in a little book that I keep where I write love letters to my future love. The one who I hope to meet in some wildly romantic way or in just a simply way. I am simply holding my heart to rediscover a love liek the one I had except this time, my heart will be completly full and my life ready to be able to devote the kind of love that will forever go on.
Until then, Emily Dickinson seems to sum up the way that I know I will find him one day-
Emily says-
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea,
yet I know how the heather looks,
And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God, Nor visited in heaven,
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the chart were given.

I too am sure of love- whether soul mate or chosen. I know I will find it one day. Until then, I look and write love notes to keep my heart at bay.

Alisa said...

Stina, you can totally speak for me! :) That's me and my husband to a T. In addition to what you mentioned, for us it was a hard decision for us to give romance a try, b/c we chrished our friendship we'd had for five years, and we knew it was risky to that friendship to try romance. Fortunately we took that risk, and it worked!

Unknown said...

That is an amazing story Robb! Wow, what heartfelt and raw emotions.

I am onboard for that screenplay, but I may need to do research by vacationing in New Zealand first, you know, so I would really capture it.

And while neither of these actors look like you and Tara, they are my favorites....I see a dreamy Daniel Day-Lewis as Robb and a beautiful, strong Michelle Pfieffer. I know they are both too old to play you two realistically, but ever since Age of Innocence I have wanted to see those two reunited on screen!

Unknown said...

Jo and Torrey and Kimbie.....you girls are amazing! I loved your comments so much. I love the depth of character and wisdom that you've imparted, and while one of you is still searching, and one of you is in the newlywed bliss stage, and one of you has been married for years.....you've all hit upon amazing and strong foundational points.

Ahhhh, makes me want to fall in love again.

Mate or no mate, this discussion has definitely fed my soul.

HWHL said...

D'Arcy,
I like Daniel Day Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer, if we can roll their ages back just a bit.... I was thinking of Viggo Mortensen for Robb (strong, thoughtful and outdoorsy) and I haven't been able to come up with a strong, beautiful blonde for Tara.... all the blondes that spring to mind are too cupcake-ish.... know what I mean?

I agree though, D'Arce.... a trip to NZ is DEFINITELY in order to help you research the story and subsequent screenplay....

HWHL said...

GOT IT!
Charlize Theron can play Tara - a beautiful blonde and definitely NOT a cupcake.

Ruahines said...

Kia ora ladies!
I couldn't resist infiltrating Robb's blog (I have yet to succumb to having my own as having to write assignments sucks up all my energy). I am flattered at your suggestions as to who should play me in your movie. I was thinking myself along the lines of Scarlett Johannsen, as she is the same age I was (23) when I met Robb (not to mention she's bloody gorgeous and loves Tom Waits). It was an amazing time when Robb and I met, as I had been living in Fort lauderdale for over a year working in a crazy busy Italian restaurant, albeit run by a psychopath. I was jaded from all the drinking, nightclubs and superficial relationships and decided to accept Katies invitation to come visit her in Milwaukee (the trip up on the greyhound bus is another story). Robbs story is absolutely how it happened, but he forgot to mention that when I walked up to him I reached up and took off the bandanna he was wearing around his head (I can see that scene in the movie)before I even said hello to him.
New York plays a part in our story as well, as I had driven Katie (Robbs ex) in a u-haul truck to move her furniture there as she wasn't confident about driving that distance using side mirrors (I was a truck drivers daughters, need I say more) and she suggested to me that I should stay there with her and find a job. I remember sitting in the window of her apartment on 7th Ave looking out of these amazing arched windows, just watching everyone go by in the street below and thinking "should I stay, should I go". We know the decision I made and I have never regretted it but I have always wondered what I would be doing if I had stayed there in New York - very 'sliding doors' I think. So that's it from me. Robb has kept meticulous journals since I met him in 1992 so you have plenty of background info (although you realise we will have to kill you after your've read it). Have fun, and thanks for not suggesting that Pamela Anderson play me. Now that would be a killing offence.

aroha
Tara

HWHL said...

Tara,
Scarlett Johanssen would indeed be a wonderful choice for you - she's blonde, beautiful and very bright (I don't know why I didn't think of her earlier!)

As far as Pamela Anderson.... one word.... BLECH!

Isn't blogging fun?!
I'm sitting here smiling in my house in Atlanta, thinking how much fun it would be to meet you, Robb, D'Arcy, etc. And we're all half a world away from each other. Long live the blogosphere!

And, yes, you and Robb have a wonderful, beautiful love story... I think D'Arcy is JUST the person to turn it into a book or a screenplay - she is a fantastic writer!

Take care!
-Happy Wife Happy Life :-)

Unknown said...

Tara!! You are just what has been missing on my blog. I love your story, and you know, this was all fun and games until I read about your time in New York, your questioning....your final decision, and the path that it has led you on.

I am serious about that visit to New Zealand. I don't joke about travel.

I think Scarlet and Viggo have it! Although, I think you are more beautiful than Scarlet. I took a celebrity look alike quiz yesterday and my number one was Hillary Duff ( I am mortified!) followed by Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron. I think I'd have to recruit Kate to play me when my memoir finally gets made into that blockbuster!

And HWHL--you're so kind...so kind I might even let you read the Jane Austen-esque novel I wrote a few years ago, then you can really judge my writing!


You've all done me proud on this post, it's been so much fun! I want to print off all your stories and keep them in a safe place.

Unknown said...

Tara!! You are just what has been missing on my blog. I love your story, and you know, this was all fun and games until I read about your time in New York, your questioning....your final decision, and the path that it has led you on.

I am serious about that visit to New Zealand. I don't joke about travel.

I think Scarlet and Viggo have it! Although, I think you are more beautiful than Scarlet. I took a celebrity look alike quiz yesterday and my number one was Hillary Duff ( I am mortified!) followed by Kate Winslet and Charlize Theron. I think I'd have to recruit Kate to play me when my memoir finally gets made into that blockbuster!

And HWHL--you're so kind...so kind I might even let you read the Jane Austen-esque novel I wrote a few years ago, then you can really judge my writing!


You've all done me proud on this post, it's been so much fun! I want to print off all your stories and keep them in a safe place.

Unknown said...

That posted twice, my little MAC is acting up. She is so temperamental sometimes. I think she got word of a newer and nicer version and worries I might trade her on it. I am no such fickle friend!

Boquinha said...

Wow! This is fun!! I want to know more about Tara and Robb and what they're doing in NZ and how they're surviving! How was NZ chosen as a place to live? Is that where Tara's from? I feel like I'm reading a novel and have so many questions! :P And how do you know them, D'Arcy? Wow, this is such a cool post!

Unknown said...

They do have a great story! I'll let Robb or Tara fill in the details. I met them through my friend Gustav, who is a regular here at ABSTRACTION (Gus and Robb are best friends and both of them have amazing blogs you can connect to through my main page). In fact, I think it is time to add you there too!

And, though I haven't met them yet, I feel like I have known them for a long time...we will seal the friendship deal soon with a real get together. Until then, these virtual ones are so much fun!

Boquinha said...

Thanks, D'Arcy! I'm so flattered! :)

Oooh, I love Gustav's posts. I've subscribed to his blog already. :) Wow, what a reunion you'll have in NZ!!

Ruahines said...

Kia ora koutou,
Thanks for the kind words D'arcy and HWHL, they are balm to the ego as I race headlong towards the big 40. Yes, I have been to NY three times and absolutely love it! I plan to go back again as I didn't even the scrape the surface of what the big apple has to offer. n my first girls-trip there, I remember staying up till 6am and then catching the tube to the Bronx, having a coffee, and then going back to the hotel where all the girls I was travelling with were waiting anxiously. They were all relieved to see I was still alive and were adamant I had been partaking in illicit substances to have stayed up all night. I explained to them that us kiwis can party long and hard on alcohol alone (and excitement at my first trip to NY) and didn't need that shit to have fun (not sure if they believed me). But its true.
Also, HWHL - I would love to visit Atlanta, it looks like a cool place to live. I used to fantasize that I lived in Savannah (along with everyone else who read In the midnight garden...)
Boquinha - in answer to your question, yes, I am a Kiwi and live in a town called Palmerston North (approx 75,000 pop). I met Robb on my OE to the States and dragged the poor guy back home. I am currently studying towards a degree in Psychology with the goal of going on to postgraduate study and then to train as a clinical psychologist (if I don't have a mental breakdown first). Robb loves New Zealand and although we won't ever live in the States again, we will go back and visit Robbs family in the not too distant future.

If you are going to come to NZ D'Arcy, Feb and Mar are the best times as its our summer and lovely over here. Not too hot,and with lots of bar-b-ques and sitting outside sipping yummy wine and talking into the night with cool people. There is nothing I like better.

As for the screenplay, as long as I get the wittiest lines, I'm happy.

enoho ra
Tara

Boquinha said...

Thanks, Tara! Wow, the summers there sound divine.

HWHL said...

Tara,
Ironically, D'Arcy and I both went to NYU (we found that out through our blogging friendship).... of course, I'm 40 and D'Arcy is MUCH younger, so our paths did not cross, but isn't it ironic that all 3 of us have traversed through that same wonderful city? :-)

(And by the way, Tara, you'll enjoy your 40's.... once you get past the BIG NUMBER that 40 represents to a woman, you'll be just fine. I turned 40 last August and am having a lovely time!) :-)

Interesting you mention Savannah as well - we go to Tybee Island quite a bit - which is right outside Savannah. (Also, I grew up in Charleston... another wonderful, history-soaked city in the South.) Lots of culture, history, art, etc.

Oh yes - and D'Arcy - I would LOVE to read anything you have written. Seriously. Email me and I'll be happy to give you my mailing address, or you can email me the manuscript - whatever works. I really, truly do think you're a great writer. :-)

Gotta run - my daughter woke up with a Mystery Rash.... off to the doc for diagnosis!

Take care girls! :-)

Sugar Jones said...

Okay... so I don't come to D'Arcy's for a couple of days and POOF.,. there's a movie script? Wow! That's the last time I cut back on Americanos!

Chelle said...

Holy crap D'Arcy-35 comments! You're so popular! Just like when we were cheerleaders in high school...haha.

The closest thing I've ever had to a soul mate was a boyfriend a few years back. I don't think he was my soul-mate in every sense of the word, as I think there are many different ways to be connected and maybe one person can't fulfill all of us. Eventually we ended up going our own separate ways, for both good and bad reasons.

But there was something amazing about this relationship. We were always very physically connected, and not in just a sexual way, but in a way that I just couldn't imagine ever feeling that comfortable or connected with someone ever again, and I didn't ever want to lose it. It was as though we were just drawn to each other, and were able to calm each other down, always. I think we both had similar needs and were able to fulfill each other and connect in a way I haven't experienced before or since. I do hold out hope that that is out there for me again, or in a different form, but being with this person was amazing while it lasted.

jo said...

about your book, d'arcy, when's it getting published? i don't know if i ever got to read the ending...and it was SO GOOD, i couldn't stop reading it.
MUST. HAVE. ENDING.

Rowena said...

D'arcy, you keep posting such thought provoking entries, and I have been unable to contribute I have to try to catch up. Wow on this one.

Sometimes I wonder if our lives are not FILLED with soul mates, those people who connect with you in that right time and lead you to the next phase of your development. Love is great and partnership is great, but I'm not sure I believe in that one true love thing.

And then again, recently I was wondering if WRITING is my soulmate. Maybe it would be a different term, but it is definitely my longest relationship outside of family.

I would also like to say that the novel I am writing now is a cross between a Jane Austen novel and Star Wars. :) That description always makes me laugh.

Unknown said...

Rowena that's a book I WANT to read. Can I? My tagline on my site is "Elizabeth Bennett meets Bridget Jones..."

Mine's not getting published any time soon, I gave up my agent and really haven't done much with it but let it stew on the shelf....for the past year.

Hey, It's Ansley said...

I just found the one computer at work that let's me onto blogger. Yay! But it was hard not to blow my cover and laugh out loud at this post. I love that he tells us not to stress out. I didn't see the movie Sliding Doors for a long time becuase I thought it would make me too afraid to make any decision but in fact, it's just the opposite, it will all work out eventually.

And I haven't found my soul mate but I did meet a very cute guy in London when I ducked into a pub to avoid the rain because I didn't have an umbrella. In fact, I missed most of the London tourist sights because of him.