Getting to Know Myself

I never got the chance to tell you about my second business trip.  I went to Florida about 3.5 weeks ago to conduct more training.  The weather was great, but for almost everything else...

IT WAS AWFUL!

I got home on a Thursday night, dropped my luggage in the kitchen and fell in to Mike's arms for a good cry.  I just needed to let it out.  The only good thing about the trip:  I learned a little more about myself.

I learned that I am NOT shallow, that I don't care about brands, expensive food, and putting others down.  That I'm a kind, overly loving person, that I need time to myself, that I'm unique, that I'm just ME.

Needless to say, the three women I traveled with were very much the opposite.  One of them certainly lives a "queen bee" lifestyle.  Two phones, online shopping constantly, Prada 'et al' everything, judgemental, rude, impatient.  Everything I'm not (except the impatient part).  But the other women fed right in to it, rolling their eyes behind her back.  WHY?!  Why would you help to fuel that fire?

I certainly didn't.  It really put me on the outside because I was not going to behave as they all did.  Tipping 5% for a party of four, harassing the wait staff, constantly being picky about ordering drinks, criticizing people's work at our work site, saying rude things about people, and on-and on-and on.

It got to the point where if I did speak, they wouldn't even acknowledge that I had spoken.  It was a horrible place to be.  In a group of women constantly bringing others down and judging with no basis.  Being rude.  GRR, just writing this and thinking about it again makes me angry!  Mind you, these are professional women, and I know someone loves them.  Just not me.  I don't mean to be negative toward them, it just really made me realize what I'm not.  I'm not like that.  I'm just ME.

I am Natalie.  Small town girl living in the "big" city.   I love my family, treasure my friends, and adore my husband.  I am loyal, unique, and quirky.  I love to make memories.  I love to try new things.  I love being me, and I've come to realize that if you're not okay with that, then walk on, because I don't have time for people to bring me down.  I've always had no problem being who I am, and I going to keep on being me.

That awful experience of being trapped in another state with three people tearing others down really make me stick to being me.  It made me see more of who I am.  I won't change for anyone.

Please be true to yourselves, my friends.

**If you've never read the book Queen Bees & Wannabes, you should do so.  I read it in high school because my brother's girlfriend was writing a college essay about it.  It is the book that the movie Mean Girls is based on.**

Photos courtesy Tumblr #beyourself