"Eastern Europe?" (slightly confounded, scrunched up face) "Why?"

Yes, yes, yes. The answer to your question is one hundred times, yes, this trip is the cliché “finding myself” trip. I’ve tried to frame it as otherwise for some time now, but I’ve recently realized that there’s no way of avoiding it. I want to find myself, dammit, and I plan to do it by traipsing around Eastern Europe with a backpack, a few friends, and a blank journal.

Yes, I graduated college a year-and-a-half ago and in that time I’ve held two different jobs because, in actuality, I have no idea what I want to do with my life.

Yes, my personal life has been a roller coaster. In the last year I’ve given and lost a lot of love, but I’ve also found friendship, compassion and support in more places than I could have ever imagined.

Yes, I’ve become a little lost. I sometimes feel like pieces of me have been scattered across the state of California. Some pieces are in Los Angeles, taking up residence in a little black box theatre at USC, sneaking past the doorman at the Talmadge to get to apartment 501, or watching inspired theatre at a juvenile justice facility in the valley. Some pieces are in Walnut Creek, floating around the pool in my parent’s backyard, or laughing with Lei and Ken over a drink at Lucky’s. And some are on the Peninsula, sitting at my desk at the foundation, moving into downward dog at the yoga studio, going grocery shopping at Google, or chatting with new friends over dinner in Palo Alto.

And yes, I’ve made sacrifices for things that maybe I shouldn’t have. Partly because I have yet to learn what’s important enough to make life altering, earth shaking, perspective changing sacrifices for.

So, YES, this trip is absolutely a time to “find myself.” I embrace that label in all of its cliché glory. But, it’s also so much more than that.

“Okay Kristen,” you’re thinking to yourself. “I think you’re cool and all, but I just logged onto this blog of yours to check out some pictures of Hagia Sophia and get some ideas for my next trip. I mean, I’ve enjoyed (sharing an office, practicing yoga, taking a class, *insert how you know me here*, etc.) with you, buuttttttt I’m really not super interested in your musings on life. Frankly, I’ve got my own issues to deal with.”

Point taken.

Rest assured, I don’t plan on spilling my guts or using this blog as my own online therapy session (my grandparents will be reading this after all ;) Nor do I assume that ANYONE would actually be interested in knowing that much about me. However, from time to time, I may slip in a few personal reflections, but I promise to keep them at the end of the post so that you won’t be ambushed while enjoying an anecdote about a bus ride through Albania.