[mood|sentimental]

[music|the beatles-don’t let me down]

First entries are weird, and just a little nerve-wracking.

I’m not exactly sure what I’m supposed to say.

Hi. My name is Bridget, and I’m about to do something crazy.

About three months ago, I decided I would pack up all my belongings and leave this slice of California heaven. Leave it for the only thing I figure can top a yearly average of 72-and-sunny and a two-block walk to the crashing Pacific: The World.

Over these next few months, I’m hoping to follow inspiration around Oceania, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Of course, I wasn’t alone in making this choice. If the universe were knocking any louder on my door, the thing would’ve flown off its hinges.

In a matter of weeks I found myself with no job, no relationship, and sitting on a monthly lease, with a small-but-usable sum of savings and friends on every continent outside of Antarctica. Even my daily horoscope kept broadcasting big trips, big changes and big rewards on the horizon. What else was I supposed to do?

It’s been a busy three months, to say the least. There was the small matter of packing (more on that later), finding storage, finding a new–and portable–job, taking a crash course in how cell phones and digital storage can be used on the move, and actually moving out of my apartment, as well as the logistical heavy lifting of finding a budget, contacting friends, contacting family, and saying goodbye to Ocean Beach, California’s Last Authentic Beach Town, beautiful Eden of old hippies, salty surfers, and new-age weirdos all converging upon the sea and the Sunset Cliffs.

And, as someone who considers herself a writer, I knew I’d be documenting this whole thing anyway, so there was also the matter of starting this blog, no matter how futile it may be to scream into the Void. (Hi mom and two other people who stumbled upon this by accident!)

As far as charted course, I started off with a zippy plan (“something like five continents and 10 countries over seven months,”) and have a fortuitous route picked out; one that would allow me to ease into the whole thing with the comfort of a more-or-less predictable budget and itinerary of international friends so generously willing to help me along the way. But lately, I’ve been thinking about that route, and thinking it involves a little too much of my own design.

Ambition is a wonderful engine, but without a cool splash of patient curiosity, it’ll run you red hot past all the minutiae that makes the whole thing worthwhile in the first place. And when you make time for gratitude, life tends to take you where it will, not where you will. And isn’t that the beauty of it all?

So I set off on this journey instead with a clutch of benchmarks and safe spaces, and lots of space in between for my plan to fall through the cracks.

If you stay prepared for anything the world will present you everything, and you may actually learn something from it if you keep your eyes and mind open.