FOREWORD: BEGINNINGS

After a two-year hiatus, I return to the wonderful world of blogging. I confess, this is not the first time I am returning from a hiatus but I share with my readers that I was permanently scarred after writing a post that shredded the relationships of those in my world around me. It is for this reason, I choose to remain anonymous so that I may freely, uninhibitedly share my experiences, true feelings, and thoughts without the worry of what others will think. If you think you know who is writing this blog, you don't. If you're absolutely positively sure you know the culprit of this blog, then I suggest, for the sake of our relationship, that you stop reading this and never think another thing about it since I'm sure I will write about you one day!

First, I must explain to my (hopefully soon vey faithful) readers the inspiration of my blog name. The teenager years are always a painful growing process for anyone, and I was not free from such disasters that came at the expense of my humiliation. Countless times, I am reminded by a laughing (often hysterical laughter might I add) friend or family member about my knack for tripping/falling in the most unusual places without or without the aid of excuses (eg high shoes, crutches, steps on a deck, flat surfaces). With each passing year, I learned to laugh at myself, and embrace the humor in it--my attitude being, "If I'm going to have some pain inflicted on me through my lack of grace, someone else may as well get a laugh out of it." In other words, one of my many personal mottos includes "no shame" for this exact reason. Fast forward a few years to the time when a sibling came up with a nickname to which I endearingly took on. "Trip" being said nickname. Through the years, it has grown to mean more than a description of my lack of grace. After sharing my nickname with a coworker, she assumed it was because, and I directly quote, "such a trip!" To add umph to the name, I added my own nuance--I love to take trips. Thus said, I have dedicated this blog to sharing the trips I take, both metaphorical and literal, emotionally and physically.

More importantly, my motivation for writing is three-fold.

1) I find that writing forces me to see the humor in things. Having previously blogged about one of my adventures while living abroad, it helped me to cope with the difficulties that strangled me daily. Sometimes I shared the truth, other times I hid the dark anger that was engulfing me in the midst of my hardest trials. It is my aim to provide humor to my readers, to share stories with which they can relate, and more importantly, to lead me on to greater things! (Can we say cue in Jen Lancaster?? You are my inspiration you sassy, awesomely, witty lady.) I assure my readers that while I aim to see the humor in my comedic, hopefully adventurous, life, there will be times when I will feel the need to rant with angst, wallow in heartache, and express the passion of experiencing the pains in life without restraint. Will my entries be more like a diary? Perhaps. Will they leave you with a smile on your face because you realize you're not the only crazy one in this world? I sure hope so. Regardless of your outcome, the driving, most important, asset to me in writing this blog is to be able to share with unabashed passion, energy, and honesty--I don't wish to offer any apologies necessary for being what we all are. . . human.

Future topics may (or may not) include:

• My Never-Ending Bucket List. An explanation of what has happened in my life to make me who I am today. Said list being pretty intense.
• Online Dating: The strange, mostly ridiculous, world of online dating, and mens' disillusionment of self. 
• Dating Disasters in General. A painful walk down memory lane that will help me to see the value in learning from each man (mostly boys) who come and go in your life.
• Adventures of Trip: The wacky, mostly wonderful, adventures of my travels. This will be an ongoing post--most of which my blog will be based one. (Fingers crossed the travels continue. I'm pretty broke-ass from all my other travels and I gots to find ways to recuperate my finances and get to seeing the world again.) Traveling, after all, makes me...well...me. It is when I travel that I feel as if a huge brick is being lifted of my chest, and I am breathing freely again. It is when I travel that I find myself love life and feeling as if the real me is being awoken again after slumbering in the daily doldrum called a "responsible life." Past travels and future blogs may include Minneapolis, New York, Costa Rica, Europe (ALL OF IT), China, and many more to come!

2) To act on the words and encouragement of one of my best friends who makes me feel as if my writing is Noble Peace Prize worthy. It is her constant begging, nagging, and pushing that causes that little voice to go off in my head every damn day that I don't write. This is to you, you anorexic, fake-haired, smelly friend whom I couldn't live without. (Audience Note: Don't try to understand--only think about that dear friend you have that for every insulting word you call them, it really means you love and cherish them all that much more.)

3) And finally, to see where this avenue of sharing takes me. (Cue in daydreams of traveling the world while being paid to write about my knack for getting into interesting situations where ever I may be). If you like my work, then I openly welcome your thoughts, your feelings, your reactions to my blog. "Openly" meaning words of encouragement, stories you can relate with, and to tell me how awesome I am. Ha. Honestly speaking though, I deal with enough negativity in life, and this is not the place for your negativity--it is for mine tho! ;)  Above all, if you dig this blog, then share it with your friends.  It is with your input that I will know that what I am doing is worthwhile and it will encourage me to continue writing to you even when I dread placing my tired, lazy, fat fingers on the keyboard.