Uncover Within

I've always been competitive, restless, impatient, and not just a goal setter, but an adamant goal achiever. This mentality, ingrained in me through my environment, consequently made me overbearing, and an idealist who fears failure more than anything else in the world. My insane need for success has made me always moving, always watching, and always analyzing how I can continuously adapt to chase this perfection. Now, I'm in a weird stand still. I achieved what I wanted as a girl. I kicked ass in school, I got an amazing start to my career, and here I am still not satisfied. I'm already planning, planning how I can acquire more skills, more networking, more ideas, to keep achieving. I restlessly type out my goals on my laptop, dissatisfied that so much of it requires me to wait and to observe, before I start taking action. I want to make life-altering moves now, not months or years from now. I've been spending a lot of time at home recently. I'm in that lull be...

Completely, and utterly lost. That's how I had felt after I had packed up my apartment, moved back home, and looked at my graduation robe hanging in my closet. I didn't know how to be happy without having my friends around me 24/7. I didn't know how to feel secure in myself, peaceful with just being, content in just living. I am not saying that this three week trip gave me all the answers I was looking for. But it gave me a place to start. It gave me hope. From Greece I learned how to be still. To experience and appreciate the beauty around me, and the people around me. Greece helped me realize that even though one chapter of my dharma had closed, the life of being a professional, and the joys that come along with that: traveling, collaborating, learning- constantly learning, even if it is not in a classroom setting, and finding new people, places, and purposes to be inspired by, that was turning into my new dharma. Greece taught me to be content with my life, learning ...

Our next stop, Italy, was a short trip that we had added into the journey for the desire to experience the most scrumptious pizza of our life in Naples, as well as experience the beauty and serenity of the Amalfi Coast. Both of these desires of ours came true. Pressing into the firm dough in the tiny kitchen of a famous pizzeria in Italy, and creating my own authentic pizza, was one of the most rewarding instances of my life. Not to mention the taste. The blend of flavors and textures as the fresh mozzarella, even fresher sauce, and the crust slowly filled up my belly and my heart. And the gelato. I can never forget the gelato. So creamy, so thick, and the wholesome end to every day in Italy. As we approached our last destination, Spain, all I could think was how Italy had given me a strong appreciation for food. A burning desire to travel everywhere to experience the most authentic and incredible cuisines. And the country showed me the beautiful and valuable lesson that, no matter how...

Our first stop was Athens, Greece. For us, Athens was the city we were the least excited about in our trip to Greece. All we could do was go to boring museums and walk around the city, there was no glam or leisure in that. However, the beauty of Athens quickly consumed us, and it became one of our favorite cities on the trip. The rich history, the people, and the absolutely life-changing food, made Athens the city that gave so much to us. Walking the streets that Aristotle and Plato had strolled, imagining where they had reflected on life's deepest questions, brought in the introspection and wonder we had needed for our trip. As well as understanding the painful history of the people of Athens , made us value and respect the city and its people so much. Not to mention, the most out-of-this-world falafel we had in the Plaka, that became one of our most prized meals on the entire trip. We felt the aura of Goddess Athena, who protects the island and its people so fiercely and lovingly...

Empty. That's how I felt after graduation. The short burst of jubilation for finally wearing the robe, walking down the aisle, taking pictures with friends and family, it was all a whirlwind of activity, and after the hugs, the flowers, the gifts, the congrats and the praise, all I felt was alone. Alone and confused. Since I was four-years old, my life has revolved around school. In Sanskrit there is a beautiful word, called dharma . Dharma means duty, and the Gita, the sacred text of India, explains that one must do their prescribed duties in service to God. For me, my dharma has been to be a student. Learning is my passion and the identity of being a student is what I carried so strongly and proudly from grade school, to high school, and finally, to college. As I walked across the aisle smiling at my parents, all I could feel was the panic bubbling inside of me. This was it. I wasn't a student who could stay up late with my best friends, stressing about exams, drinking coff...