With Love From Paradise:

In Transit

An Improvised Adventure…

My flight from Edinburgh to London was at around 5am – a time when no human being should be awake without a good reason!  To add insult to injury, we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour due to air traffic delays! Not the best start to the trip. Less than an hour into flying, I discovered the airplane was not equipped with any real entertainment or snacks.  I was seated on the aisle seat next to an elderly woman who slept most of the time we were on the ground – not much for conversation – and on the other side of the aisle sat three lively women about my age. Out of the three, one was actually headed to Nice as well. Gabrielle, a journalist for a local French newspaper, was a delightful source of conversation. She was a fresh-faced, inexperienced, but adventurous traveler. The hour we spent on the ground flew by and I was slightly sorry that the plane did take off in the end. Nonetheless, the unfortunate consequence of the delay was that I ended up missing my flight from London to Nice.

We landed safely, just an hour and a half later than expected, meaning that I missed my connecting flight by 20 minutes – and, you guessed it, no refunds. I had to be in Nice the following day for a meeting, but the next flight wouldn’t get me there until after the meeting (there had been several other flight cancellations). So, my only option was to drive there… Oh joy. From London to Paris, I managed to grab a ticket for the underwater railroad (the “Eurostar” tunnel) that passes under the English Channel. It was a packed but pleasant ride that took about an hour. I didn’t manage to get much done, but I did enjoy the conversation of the lively British bunch on board.

Renting a car was an expense that had to be paid, but luckily I wasn’t alone: Gabrielle, my new friend from the airplane, also had to get down to Nice and was also trying to rent a car to get there. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but we decided to split the cost of the car and drive down to Nice together. With two potential drivers, we could alternate if one of us felt tired. I grabbed the keys to the Polo from the car rental guy, Gabby grabbed some snacks from the confectionery shop next door, and we hit the road. Fueled by friends, friendly locals, protein, and caffeine, Gabby and I drove for 15 hours (including rest-stops) to Nice. Let me tell you – it was a very “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” kind of ride because most of it took place during the night.

The French Riviera during one of our Petrol Pit-Stops

We had some good times, some great times, and some improvised adventures. I’ll sum up the best part of the trip – I like to refer to it as the “fuel maneuver”. With a little over four hours to go before Nice, Gabby and I had spent most of our money on snacks and didn’t really have much left to buy petrol. I offered to pay for gas on a credit card, but Gabby wanted to use the opportunity to flirt with a couple of men at the gas station. I was convinced that her actions wouldn’t lead to any free gas in the tank, so I started to dig through my purse to find my (rather bare) wallet. By the time I actually opened my wallet, Gabby had opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat again – I figured that this meant that she was unsuccessful, until I heard the car start to make a noise. I turned around to see a not unattractive (double negative = hot!) young man filling up the car with petrol. How did she do it? She handed him a piece of paper before telling me to drive away. This girl has talent. The rest of the trip’s highlights included listening to blaring music and singing along to it, rolling down the windows while on the freeway and having our hair blown around, playing road trip games, and even a few prank phone calls here and there. Definitely a day to remember!

So now we’ve come full circle: I arrived here (in Nice) about 30 minutes ago, where I parted ways with Gabby, and checked into an inn at the airport. Gabby is a great road trip partner and I hope to be able to do it again with her, but just for fun this time! The bottom line of this story, I suppose, is that no matter what life can throw at you to mess up your “plans”, don’t make a fuss about it. The more you resist change, the harder it will hit you – because it will hit you. It’s just a matter of when. I’m lucky because I didn’t react to the flight delays and such with anger or frustration, and I had alternative options – but that advice can be applied to other situations, not just concerning travels.

I’ll leave you, friends, as I usually do, with something that a new (and now better) friend of mine said to me when we went our separate ways in Nice: “never forget to bring snacks and just enjoy the ride.”

With love from paradise,

Amita

The next stop on Amita’s Adventure: Nice, France (seriously this time…)!

With Love, From Paradise:

Edinburgh, Scotland

Paradise, my friends, is a myth.  Its not a Caribbean beach, or a trek in Peru, or a journey across the Sahara desert, or scuba diving off the coast of Australia.  Its a state of mind.  A playground of mundane amusements can become a world to discover in proper sunlight

It’s a Sun-in-Your-Face, Wind-in-Your-Hair Life

I arrived three days ago, after spending a few days in sunny London visiting friends, and it was pouring down rain – oh great, I thought, more of that weather drifted over the border along with my plane. But all hope wasn’t lost! Scottish people are really nice – genuinely nice. Ok, maybe I’m generalizing a bit, but my first encounter with anyone Scottish came at the airport – and I think that these people are the indicators of a country’s attitude to foreigners. In my opinion, if you have a good airport experience, then you’re bound to have a good time in the country itself. I appreciated, upon my arrival, the instant acceptance of any cultural differences between me and the local people. Truth be told, I had some trouble understanding the taxi driver’s accent – but he was kind about it.

Now I’ll skip all the boring stuff of me getting to the hotel, getting cleaned up and getting my camera out for sightseeing, because all that was interrupted by a call from an old friend of mine who I haven’t seen in years. Mike, a fellow comedy lover and all-round solid guy, called me because he heard I was in town and offered to give me a private tour of the city. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance!

Oh. My. God.

We went everywhere from the Edinburgh castle, to the Royal Mile, to tiny side streets that led to open fields of emptiness and wholeness all the same. There was even a change in the weather to cloudless skies and bright sunshine, helping the beauty of the city to really strike you in the face (I mean that in the nicest way possible – like a slap in the face from someone you love to tell you to pay attention!) I’m not a terribly active, sporty person – while I do appreciate nature’s beauty – but you know you’re in some form of paradise when you hike to the top of a mountain in the middle of the city just because it’s there. More than that, I felt that it was almost a spiritual experience. I felt free, and close to nature that it brought me a sense of peace. Maybe this was a taste of that paradise-state-of-mind that I spoke of previously. The words that ran through my mind just as I was leaving the mountain was something my grandfather used to say to me, but really hit home in this moment: “never hesitate to take a first chance at something life-changing.” It was so clear to me. Right there. Right now. Stop worrying. What’s the point? You spend so much time and effort into worrying about the outcome of a decision instead of the possible opportunities that could come of saying yes. I vowed that I’d milk this adventure for all I could get… “why not?” would be my new mantra.

With this newfound mental clarity, we revisited the Royal Mile – definitely my favorite place in Edinburgh because it’s always bustling with activity in preparation for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, evident from the crazy number of advertisements stuck to a pillar in the middle of the street. This festival is a month-long theatre festival where actors come out onto the Royal Mile and promote their performance while in character. It was an incredible experience, and you haven’t lived until you’ve had someone in rags come up to you while crawling on the ground and hand you a flyer – and before you say anything, it is nothing like any encounter with beggars on the street. Since the festival doesn’t start until August, most of the shows at the moment are doing a test-run, so to speak. Best part… cheaper tickets! Mike and I ducked into two shows while we were there: an improv show, which was hilarious, and a drama, which honestly wasn’t anything to write home about – so I won’t. The only thing I will say about it is that, although it wasn’t my cup of tea, the hot blond male lead definitely caught my attention!

At night, the real party started. I realized that I had gone the whole day without seeing a man in a kilt – my personal goal while in Scotland! At 9.30pm, this goal was completed. Let’s rewind… I got back to my bed’n’breakfast at around 9pm, and I was starved! I had eaten bits and pieces here and there, but I hadn’t actually sat down to eat a meal all day. Before going on his way, Mike suggested I try some real Scottish pub food, and after a day like today, I had to give it a try.

The Greyfriars Bobby Bar was amazing. Named after a famous dog who guarded his owner’s grave for years until he passed on, this bar is host to great food, people and music. This place has typical Scottish cuisine in the restaurant section, as well as good ol’ draft beer in solid glass pints – one step into this joint and the friendly atmosphere overwhelms you into calmness and excitement. The meat dishes looked exquisite, but I went straight for the bar, which didn’t have a long line of people waiting for tables, and told the bartender to give me what he thought was the typical Scottish dinner… big mistake. He brought out two pints of beer, a massive plate of french fries, a leg of lamb, and I stopped him before he got to the haggis (I’ve already had that pleasure before!) I looked up at him and gave him one of those “are you kidding me?” looks, when a flock of men, and I mean manly men, strode over to me and started to talk to me. Now, I’m not one to be easily intimidated, but these guys looked like rugby players because they were all about 6’ in any direction you measured them – but these were the men I was waiting for: they were wearing kilts! I inadvertently broke the ice by mentioning that they were the first men I met in Scotland with kilts, which made them laugh so loud I swear the floor shook a little. Quite surprisingly, they kindly asked if they could join me. Usually I’d be weary to accept, but it was perfect timing to test out my new mantra! They sat down with me, we had a couple of beers, they finished off the rest of my food, it was a good night. The best part, however, was once these 6’ Scotsmen got some alcohol in their system and started to teach me some Scottish slang. Let’s see how much of it I remember: “Aye, I’m visiting a but and ben, but I dunnae ken. Yer haver s’gotta mean yer bluttered! Yer auxters are boughin’ an yer hair is a burach, an ye looks like an eedjit, but do what suits ye. Show me to the shunky and give me a tattie, else yer erse is oot the windae.” You can do the translating on all that – I’m not too sure what that all means, but those are the phrases that stuck in my head after that night. Oh what a night.

So with only one full day to really explore this beautiful city, I have yet to explore it’s cracks and crevices and find out what makes its people so happy. A second and third visit are definitely in store for the future! I don’t think I have the words or the ability to describe Edinburgh’s beauty. I can’t do it justice. Breathtaking during the day and at night, the city is filled with so much greenery and life that my eyes were constantly entertained.

I’ll leave you, my friends, with three words that seem to capture the city’s vibrance: “just say yes.” You never really know where life is going to take you, and you’ll never get anywhere if you block off new roads with skepticism or refusal. Take my word for it, you can always go back, but you may not always be able to go forward that same way again. Take the chance, any may yer lums reek lang and weil!

With love from paradise,

Amita

The next stop on Amita’s Adventure: Nice, France!

“Well I guess I’ve always been “destined” to be a bridal designer. I’ve been fascinated with wedding fashions since I was little (think Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner when she’s a little girl playing “wedding” with her Barbie dolls – that was me!), so it was no surprise when I decided to make it a career.” Faith Thornburg had big aspirations at a very young age – she knew she wanted to one day design the gowns that would help define one of the most exciting days of a woman’s life – her wedding day. She has done just that.

After finishing high school Faith applied to one school, The Savannah School of Art and Design – she got in – and starting in the fall of 2007 – she had her eye on one degree – Fashion Design.

While at SCAD, she started working at a bridal store in Savannah, where as she described, she played “dress up” with “brides to be” all day long in beautiful Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Priscilla of Boston and Oscar de la Rent (just to name a few).

The following summer she interned at Anne Barge and Badgley Mischka Bride in Atlanta, GA. Upon returning to Savannah, she started her senior collection. Each year, SCAD works with top designers in the “SCAD Style Lab”. Seniors are encouraged to submit their collection vision and then a few are selected to work one on one with a designer. This past year’s designers were Christian Cota and Chris Benz and they were so impressed with Faith’s vision, she was selected to work with one on one with Christian Cota – an opportunity which she describes as a dream come true!

Cota would visit Savannah throughout the year, assisting Faith in the whole “collection process” – she explains that it was at that point in her career that she was truly shaped into a designer. Along with that incredible opportunity, Faith’s work was also chosen (in a select group of senior designs) to have her collection “walk the runway” in a show choreographed by Miss J. Alexander from Project Runway.  After the show she was personally showered with praise and implausible advice from Andre Leon Talley, Miss J and Manolo Blahnik – some of the industry’s leading men!

Faith thought all of her dreams had come true until she was told that her collection had been chosen by Elle Magazine to be showcased at New York’s Fashion Week this September as well as have a special feature in the magazine in it’s October and December issues (so keep your eyes peeled for her)!

Faith is now working on a few gowns for brides that will be worn this fall and will be moving to Atlanta, GA in three weeks to get her career “up and running” – she is well on her way!

Check out her website to get to see all of her collection!

www.faithannettethornburg.com

With Love, From Paradise:

Wolverhampton, England

Paradise, my friends, is a myth.  Its not a Caribbean beach, or a trek in Peru, or a journey across the Sahara desert, or scuba diving off the coast of Australia.  Its a state of mind.  A playground of mundane amusements can become a world to discover in proper sunlight

Black Coffee and Beef Jerky: The Breakfast of Champions

I woke up this morning to a gray and dreary day in a small city called Wolverhampton in the middle of England.  I won’t pretend that this is in any way, shape, or form a beautiful city.  To be perfectly honest, it’s a dump.  A pit stop on the way to a better place.  I arrived on the train earlier yesterday morning, and it seemed like any other English town – although I think this is mostly to do with the thick layer of fog that covered the city: the wind was cold, the streetlights weren’t functional, there was litter along the sidewalk, no one made eye contact with you… the usual.  However, only after I checked into my hotel for the night did the afternoon winds blow away the fog to reveal a city in desperate need of a new coat of paint – really more like 4 new coats of paint, but I’m trying to be optimistic.

A knock on my door prompted me to get out of bed.  I didn’t ask for a wakeup call, but I was told that someone would be meeting me to take me to the airport to catch my plane in the evening – but I had hours to go for that.  I opened the door.

Standing in front of me, dripping wet from the knees down, was a not unhandsome man of average height wearing dark jeans, a black shirt, a gray sweater, and a black cloth coat: “Well ‘ello there young miss, m’name’s Mitch.  I’ve come to take you to the airport.”

When he spoke, I was instantly calm.  I explained to him that my flight wasn’t for another half a day and that he wouldn’t need to take me until then, yet he insisted that he show me around the town before I leave.  Truthfully, I wasn’t at all up for spending more time than I needed here, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.  Some start to my “adventure”, I thought to myself.

By the time we got into the main town, past the burned-down pubs and abandoned buildings, there was little of interest to see… Mitch pointed out some clothes shops, makeup shops, restaurants, pubs and the odd museum here and there.  Quaint atmosphere, but still not very pretty.  We traveled around for about a good 4 hours (surprising, I know, but the time passed quickly) until we retired to a coffee shop near where Mitch had parked his car.  By this time, we’d talked about simple details of each other – where do we work, where are we from, etc – and got into some more intricate arguments over which movie is better than the other, but we hadn’t really gotten to know each other.  There was one question I was dying to ask him, and when he got back to our table with the coffee and snacks, I blurted out: “Why here?”

I think I stunned him a bit because he took a moment to answer, but I didn’t need to explain myself – he knew what I meant.  Throughout the day he could see me make faces about the cleanliness and hygiene of the people and places we visited, and could obviously sense my urge to leave, but he never commented on it.  He responded to me in a cool and collected manner, simply stating that, “This is paradise.  Why would I ever leave?”

No doubt that with me and my strong opinions, I was quick to condemn what he said.  Nonetheless, this sparked a heated discussion of what paradise really is.  Mitch has been around.  He’s traveled a fair bit in his life, and has always come home to the same house, on the same street, in the same town, in the same country in which he was raised.  So I had respect for him; he knew what he was talking about.  Somehow, in the matter of 2 hours before we left for the airport, he managed to convince me that Wolverhampton was paradise.  Even now, as I retell these events to you, my friends, I can’t believe it.  There is hope in this town: a hope for the people to become better citizens, a hope for old, decrepit buildings to be restored to a new glory, a hope that travelers make lasting friendship with the locals and expand each’s horizons.  A world of opportunity in this small town.

And so, I finally get my point: even in this small, dreary town in the middle of nowhere, there is hope.  And that is his paradise! Hope.  The endless possibilities of finding a new adventure or meeting someone who can pave a new road in the journey we call life (cheesy, but true).  If Mitch, a self-professed hypochondriac and pessimist with little inspiration to change the world (let alone move to the neighboring town of Shrewsbury – which I’m told is beautiful in comparison), can say that this place is paradise, then what’s stopping the rest of us from appreciating what we have as if it were paradise.  Who knows, to those less fortunate, it just might be.

So I hope you’ll enjoy this path to paradise as much as I will – I’ll admit that that place wasn’t as un-incredible as I made it out to be.  Join me on this journey and you too might learn what it’s like in someone else’s paradise.

I’ll leave you with some wise words that really stuck in my mind after Mitch said it:

“This place looks like crap in the rain, but like shit in the sun.  It’s a right miss, but it’s my mess, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

With love from paradise,

Amita

The next stop on Amita’s Adventure: Edinburgh, Scotland!

Finding Your Place in Love

So before you begin your series of q&a’s, turn up those feelings of inadequacy or switch on some outright anger, try first doing some introspection.  But in order to accomplish this you have to be able to ask the hard questions and be willing to accept the answers you find.

To begin the process you must ask yourself three important questions:

1. What sort of relationship am I seeking?What do I need in a mate?

Are you looking to simply have fun and enjoy the dating scene with no commitments, or are you looking for a life partner?

2. What about myself do I seek to change, alter or improve upon in order to become the best me I can be?

If you deal with issues of insecurity, how can you become more confident? If you recognize you have a penchant for arguments, how can you control your temper? If you know you fall for the wrong one constantly, what are you lacking?  Remember, you attract you exude.

The third question is extremely important and allows you to create boundaries for yourself to minimize hurt and navigate through your relationship based on your self-worth….(Drum roll)

3. What are you willing to accept or NOT accept from your mate?

Now this is tricky because there is the tendency in all of us to sweep things under the rug and ignore the “small things”. That’s simply not a sustainable way to operate in a relationship.  You must define what you will allow in your life and what you must filter out. No one but you can define your value and when you allow others to dictate their actions toward you they determine your value.

So as you venture forward in your current relationship, or are on the path to another, take the time to evaluate your entire situation, determine your worth and ensure your mate is willing to pay.

Remember “You can always expect what you accept.” -Ms Dare I Say askmsdareisay@gmail.com

I will be honest – I could spend the better part of a day at Target, Old Navy and TJ Maxx and I am not ashamed. People who only buy things for “the name” make me sad – you could be doing so much more with your money…like searching for and buying awesome and affordable items from that new fashion blog you’ve started reading. News flash “Buckhead Betty”: I bought the same top at “La Targe” (my oh so posh name for Target) and saved the 200 dollars you wasted – sorry I’m not sorry!

Summer’s Must Haves for 2011

Hey Wrappers! It’s almost time for summer! And with the dawn of this glorious new season comes – white jeans, bright colors, sundresses and seersucker! Don’t’ get me wrong – I do love the neutral, earth tones that accompany the fall and winter months but I would be lying to you all – if I said that this time of year doesn’t make my heart and wardrobe smile!

So – I thought I would give you a brief run down of the top 10 things you MUST HAVE for Summer 2011.

1.  Flared jeans.  The 70′s influence is still in full force.  Pair with the tube top, chunky jewelry and fabulous wedge heel for a sexy, summer look!

2.  The blouse. Tis’ the season to think: big bows, smocking, bell sleeves or neckties in soft, sheer fabrics such as a cotton blend, silk or rayon.

3.  White anything. It’s so fresh and so clean! Whether it is white jeans, shorts, dresses or skirts – you can’t go wrong. It’s classic, chic and a delightful addition to any wardrobe.

4.  Striped Tops. Nothing says summer like a nautical striped tee. Search for vertical stripes – they are slimming and will elongate your torso. Pair with white shorts or jeans and wedge heel to complete the look.

I will be honest – I could spend the better part of a day at Target, Old Navy and TJ Maxx and I am not ashamed. People who only buy things for “the name” make me sad – you could be doing so much more with your money…like searching for and buying awesome and affordable items from that new fashion blog you’ve started reading. News flash “Buckhead Betty”: I bought the same top at “La Targe” (my oh so posh name for Target) and saved the 200 dollars you wasted – sorry I’m not sorry!

How To: The Messy Bun

No matter the season the “messy bun” – is always IN. What girl doesn’t LOVE to just throw her hair up and bee-bop out the door to a party, function, dinner, the store…wherever? The “messy bun” is a staple in my wardrobe – comfortable, simple, versatile and very sexy – this “do” is sure to turn a head or two!

1.   Flip all of your hair down in front of your face 

2.  Quickly whip it back at the top of your head.  Willow Smith taught me that move .

3.  Once all of your hair is at the top of your head, gather it and begin to make a ponytail.

4.  Don’t pull your hair all the way through the hair tie (only pull halfway through) and secure the band (you will see the bun forming at this point).

5.  Take a strand of your hair and wrap around the rubber band (so it looks like you have actually knotted your hair).

6.  Pull the hair around your head to make the up – do look looser (not quaffed).

7.  Pull out strands around the face to make a softer/slightly messy look. 

8.  Voilà!

How did your bun turn out?  Catch ya’ll later Wrappers!

-Boe

Be sure to visit NathanLippy.com for more recipes

Coconut Fried Chicken with Rum and Lime Potato Salad

Ingredients:

For the Fried Chicken

8 Chicken tenders, boneless

1 12-ounce can Coconut Cream

1 ½ quarts vegetable oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1 egg

salt and pepper

For the Potato Salad

4-5 Red Bliss Potatoes (about 3 cups)

The juice of 2 limes

2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 teaspoon agave nectar

½ a red onion, small dice

½ a red bell pepper, small dice

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3 tablespoon Meyers Dark Rum

1 tablespoon coconut cream

salt and pepper

Action:

1. Place the chicken and coconut cream in a sealable plastic bag, squeeze all of the air out and seal. Place in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.
2. In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover with water. Place on the stove over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender (about 15-20 minutes) then drain and let cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add lime juice, vinegar, oil, cilantro, agave, red onion, bell pepper, mustard, garlic, Rum and coconut cream with some salt and pepper. Mix ingredients to incorporate.
4. Once the potatoes are cool, delicately cut them into wedges (Be careful to keep the skin intact for presentation.) Place the cut potatoes into a sealable plastic bag and cover with lime vinaigrette. Place into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
5. Add the vegetable oil to a large deep pot over medium heat and bring up to 365 degrees. Beat the egg in a bowl. Add flour to a separate bowl with some salt and pepper. (Be sure to season the flour) Remove the chicken pieces from the coconut cream and dip into the egg then dredge in the flour. Be gentle and toss the chicken pieces to coat on all sides.
6. Using a pair of metal tongs, add the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil. Make sure you don’t over fill the pot or the chicken will stick together. Once the chicken is finished (about 4-6 minutes) remove from the oil and place on a few sheets of paper towel to drain the excess oil. Season with salt and pepper if you like additional seasoning.
7. To plate, add a bit of the potato salad to the plate and drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the top, add the crispy fried chicken over the top and garnish with a wedge of fresh lime and cilantro

Nate’s no small time cook! Watch Nathan on the “Today Show” here: http://on.today.com/ehPA5I

Interracial Relationships: Does Race Really Matter?

I say, yes.

I know, it’s hard to believe people are still taken aback by those who find love outside of their own ethnicity/race. I mean, we are connected to almost everyone from Twitter to television; and while we all claim that “race does not matter,” and “everyone is the same…”  we continue to make a distinction between relationships and interracial relationships. So clearly race still matters, right?

Again, I say yes. We watch how we address these “delicate” situations, and do our best never to offend someone with our opinions. And with all this extra stress, it’s obvious that the only difference, so to speak is race; and because of that some have to wonder if these relationships are even worth the trouble.

Now coming from a racially diverse background myself, I know firsthand how difficult certain aspects of life can be wtih an interracial relationship. I myself have been questioned if  “she’s your real mother” or “are you guys really related?”

Of course, in my home we do not feel different or “interracial”. Our family is a unit of one, no one is an outsider and we were just, normal. However when we step out into the world, we are beholden to the views of what is and is not “normal” and we are labeled accordingly.

Though we are not the same racially charged nation we were a few decades ago, we are still people who have trouble accepting things that seem like they do not belong together.

Let us be honest, as humans we all have a natural inclination to group ourselves together by some common characteristic, be it physical attributes or life experiences.

With that said, it is hard to deny the fact that some people, though not prejudice or racist, naturally make an observation and categorization of interracial relationships, because they are not used to seeing two different groups together.

I mean, even outside of humans in the animal kingdom, animals stay in their own groups. It is not too often you see a duck hanging with a dolphin…and although these things happen, we still view them as an anomaly.

Now I am not an advocate of separatism, but I am merely suggesting that if one should chose to date outside of their race, they’ll have to understand to deal with the baggage that comes along with it. Mainly knowing that people will, in the present, feel the need to define your relationship on the basis of race.

So although the views of race and interracial relationships have changed drastically in the U.S., the fact of the matter is that at this time, race does matter and until the word “interracial” is no longer used to classify these relationships, race will always be a factor.