Post-Trip Reflection: "I ain't lost, just wandering"

The quote on the door of Curious Heart Emporium in Nashville

So it's been over a week since I came home from my trip, and you want to know something funny? I'm writing this from Portland, Maine. And next month? I might be in New York. If I've learned anything this fall it's that staying still doesn't really suit me. Now it's just time for me to get creative with my wandering, while making sure that I'm not actually running away from things. That's one of my biggest challenges, but it doesn't feel like much of a character flaw anymore. Because without that side of my personality I wouldn't have made so many of the amazing friends I now have.

In the last two months I have been in 9 states and 1 district, I've passed through 8 other states, and I've visited 6 different Whole Foods in 6 different states.

Stop #1: NEW YORK

Stop #2: PENNSYLVANIA

Stop #3: WASHINGTON, DC

Stop #4: NORTH CAROLINA

Stop #5: GEORGIA

Stop #6: TENNESSEE

Stop #7: MISSISSIPPI

Stop #8: LOUISIANA

Surprise Stop #9: MAINE

It's been a crazy couple of months filled with lots of laughter, heartfelt talks, delicious food, confusing weather, and sore shoulders after treks to the subway, Megabus stops, Greyhound stations, and the airport. I've lounged poolside on a roof in Louisiana, learned how to drive stick on a cul de sac in Mississippi, played Hedbanz in a hotel in Tennessee, sold jewelry to southern Christian women in Georgia, fell in love with Mellow Mushroom vegan pizza in North Carolina, had my first hostel experience in DC, chased Ben Franklin statues in Pennsylvania, and re-experienced an NYU fire drill in New York.

I've seen some incredible sunsets, stayed up all night, slept all day, and driven around in a convertible. I've celebrated my 22^nd birthday, a friend's 22^nd birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, and I've seen temperatures go from 80 degrees to 20 degrees and everything in between. It has been such a meaningful experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything. This trip has helped me figure out what I

want to come next, even if it isn't what others want or expect for me. Part of my motivation this year has been about taking control, grabbing the reigns, and listening to my gut instinct, and so far that has led me to some awesome experiences. So here's to 2012: it started out rocky, and my confusion and anger were taking center stage, but somehow it all came together and I'm so incredibly grateful.

If you need a little inspiration, here's a sampling of some of the tunes that have been getting me thinking:

I still have a bunch of blog entries from Atlanta, Nashville, Jackson, and New Orleans to catch up on, but I felt like giving an update first. For all the days I haven't written about, I'm planning on posting a bunch of pictures and a quick summary of the day's highlights. So be on the lookout! And just because my trip is over that doesn't mean this blog is. I'm planning on updating, however not every day. Because let's be real: my days watching Boy Meets World, cooking, and sending emails really aren't that exciting.