Notice to Family and Friends: My Life in Review

Dear Friends and Family,

Over the course of my life I have slowly and arbitrarily assigned the age of 27 to be a monumental year for myself.  Subconsciously, I think I picked the age of 27 because my friend back in 7th grade got me obsessed with Weird Al and as any Weird Al fan can tell you, it’s randomly significant number in his music.  But that’s completely irrelevant, and I haven’t even listened to a Weird Al song in years.

When I was 13, I told mom that when I turned 27 I would start dressing like an adult, namely, I would quit wearing fishnets.  When I graduated college, I made a bet with dad that I would speak 5 languages “functionally” at 27.  When I was 22, one of my coworkers told me that I was pretty, but when I was 27 I would be at my beautiful (weird the kind of compliments we remember). When I started my post college jobs (note: NOT careers) I said I would leave when I was 27 and travel to see the world.

As of the present, I still own nearly 20 pairs of fishnets, but I no longer wear them on a daily basis.  I speak English fluently, I can survive in french and I know random phrases in about 6 other languages but definitely not enough to function in any of them.  I still look the same as when I was 13.

Apparently I’m horrible at keeping promises to other people, but I guess as an ego-maniac I’m not bad at keeping promises to myself.  I never had an interest in traveling abroad until 2008 when Keri sort of made me go to Spain with her, and from then on I was hooked.  Since 2008 I have tried to leave the country, or see some place new at least once a year.  The idea of seeing the world has always been in the back of my head, but I’ve been consistently full of excuses such as: I have no money, and I owe a lot of money for school, and I really need to save money in anticipation of my sideview mirror being knocked off about once every three months.

In 2006 I coined my personal motto of, “If it’s there I’ll do it” and at present, I realize I should make good on my own words.  I don’t have a career.  I’m not dating anyone. My family and friends are are all healthy.  So this my friends, serves as my notice.

In exactly 57 days I will be traveling the world until I run out of money.  

I will no longer have a job (or 5 jobs to be more specific), which I’m okay with since I’ve been working since I was 13.  I will actually be following through on something I told myself I’d do 5 years ago.  Who knows, I might even be able to speak 3 more languages by the time I get back.

It’s been a great run, and New York City will always be my favorite city in the world, and probably part of the reason I had no desire to travel for so long since everything is right here at my fingertips.  But alas it’s time for me to see some new things.  I will miss everyone of course, and everyone and anyone is invited to come meet me along the way.  I will also be updating this blog to let you know I’m still alive, rub my awesome pictures in your face, and hopefully provide some entertainment – other than constant rants about missing sideview mirrors, late night rear endings and stolen iPhones.

Bisous!

Risa