Hi, my name is Natalie. I live in a small city in Alabama. Living in a small city really limits a person on finding good friends, which is why I'm looking on this website.
I earned my first college degree at a local community college, and now I'm a senior at Auburn University earning a bachelor's degree in psychology and minoring in human development and family studies. I should graduate in May 2010. Originally I had planned on becoming a psychologist, but now I've decided to apply to AUM's alternate master's in teaching program, which is where you can earn a master's in teaching while having a bachelor's degree in some other field. I hope to become either a history teacher or special education teacher in one of the upper grades (6th through 12th). I worked for a year in journalism writing for a local magazine called Lake Martin Living, but other than that I've just been a housewife and student.
I've been married for almost five years. My husband, Steve, is 48 and I am 25. I fell in love with him for his "hippie side." He was very much into the 60s when we met, and going over to his house was always like going to a different planet from how he had lava lamps and 60s decor. We don't so much have all that going on now, but we still like music from the 60s and 70s, as well as movies from that time period.
My life has been hard in a lot of ways. I often just don't understand how things can be so bad for some people, but fine for others. I grew up with a verbally abusive mother, who often would lie to my father about things I didn't really do, which resulted in a bad relationship with both parents. I got married at 21. The marriage was a struggle for the first two years because my husband had a drinking problem and did drugs. Luckily he stopped all that after a couple of years, and the marriage got really good. However, we had a heartbreaking experience after being married only a year. We had a child that we gave up for adoption for a number of reasons. The main reason was that I was treated horribly during childbirth, which resulted in me having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I blocked out the birth and did not remember any of it until a month later. At that time I started having panic attacks and flashbacks, and that went on for a little over year. We eventually reenacted the birth, which got me over that, but I still felt no interest in the child we gave up. Besides the PTSD was the fact that the baby had a horrible temperament. She literally screamed for hours with nothing helping, but yet did not seem to want to be held since she would stiffen up and kick to where she couldn’t be held. It was a total nightmare. So, we gave her up after one month, and my twenty year dream of having a big family died right then. My husband and I simply don't know if we want to have a family after everything that happened. I tend to really throw myself into college and be a straight A student to take my mind off parenthood having not worked out. If I'll ever have kids is a big question mark for me now. Speaking of this, I am willing to be friends with mothers and fathers, but I prefer that people have more going on in their lives to talk about than their kids. I do not see myself as a mother, and it is sometimes hard for me to even see people with young children in stores, because I am reminded of how that was supposed to be me and that it just didn't work out. I do tend to feel somewhat jealous and left out when I see others with their kids or have to hear about their kids frequently. However, with that being said, one of my pen pals does have a child in kindergarten, and me and her still get along just fine. In fact, she has become my best friend. So please don't hesitate to e-mail if you are a mom or dad ... I just like to be upfront and honest about my feelings on the subject.
I do have two wonderful cats who are my children in fur coats. I got my first cat, Sophie, about four years ago. She is a thin seven pound little gray kitty with long fur and very long tail. My husband gave her to me when I was pregnant, and since the baby didn't work out, all of my maternal side turned to that cat. She means everything to me, and I love her every bit as much as some people do their human children. She's an indoor cat, and I'm very protective of her. Then, we got Jack this past Halloween. He just showed up here on Halloween night and instantly wanted a home here. He is twice Sophie's size at 14 pounds and is yellow with stripes. I named him Jack because it makes me think of jack-o-lanterns. He loves being rubbed on the belly, and he still enjoys being outdoors since he was an outdoor cat when we got him. So, he is an indoor/ outdoor cat. I'm definately more attached to my Sophie though, because I don't have to worry about something happening to her as fast with being an indoor cat and also because of how she became like the child I'd wanted to have when the human child didn't work out.
My hobbies include scrapbooking, e-bay selling and buying, e-mails to pen pal friends, going to the movies with my husband, and camping. I used to enjoy drawing as well, and I won a number of art contests as a teenager, including state level. I do detailed pen and ink drawings on occasion, and my husband colors them in with pastels.
Three or four years ago I met three pen pals on another website and have managed to keep two of them. I enjoy those two pen pals so much that I've decided that I'm ready for more friends. I'm looking for people who are interested in real friendships that can last over time. I enjoy exchanging pictures and talking about life in general. I'm very open in my discussions. I would like friends who will continue to write over time. I'm not picky on race, gender, marital status, country your from, or age ... I like a variety of people in my life. The people who seem easiest for me to be friends with are young women and men without a lot of family responsibilities. I'm not sure why, but those just seem to be the people that I become closest with. I currently have one unmarried guy pen pal from Illinois and one girl pen pal who is divorced with one child from Alabama. If you're interested in making a new friend, please e-mail me. I would love to have a new pen pal or two.
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