Who is the Free Falafel?
Basic facts are:
- My name is Jessica
- I am 22 years old
- I am a recent graduate from the George Washington University
- I am backpacking South America solo à la Jason Derulo
I graduated with a degree in International Affairs and a plan to move to Chile with my best friend where we would drink pisco, teach English and attempt to 'discover ourselves'. Two weeks before we were set to leave, I got a phone call that she was pulling out of the trip and I subsequently spent the next three days crying hysterically wondering what I was going to do. It was also a long three days of feeling like I had lost faith in every single relationship I had. Luckily I had an amazing support system to pick me up and remind me that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it. I chose to make some lemonade out of my lemons and plan a backpacking trip around South America.
Easier said than done. Just days earlier I had sat in my closet, trying to decide between which heels I wanted to bring with me for my year long endeavor into Chile. Now I suddenly found myself in LLBean fitting myself into hideous hiking boots and making a spreadsheet of the 38 diseases I can die from in Patagonia.
But if I have learned anything from this experience, it's that I don't want to be scared. I don't want to ever be afraid to take a challenge. And even though I am petrified of backpacking South America on my own, the point is that I'm doing it. I'm pushing myself and in turn, challenging myself to something that I know will be remarkable. So, if you are reading this, then get excited because it's a rare chance to see a city girl who is more comfortable hailing a cab than scaling Machu Picchu actually try to make her way through South America with a pathetic budget and even more pathetic wardrobe (seriously, didn't anyone try to make dry wick clothes that were at least mildly attractive?)
Why "Free Falafel"?
So if you have made it this far, you have probably wondered what the hell this "free falafel" nonsense it is. Besides the obvious (I love falafel, but I love free falafel even more), the name originated back in the days of Backstreet Boys, Beanie Babies and AIM. I thought "freefalafel" was incredibly witty because it had alliteration. And that simplicity in thought and achievement has pretty much followed me to this very day, through Twitter and even my short-lived JDate account.
