How to Lose Yourself: The REAL Guide

Everyone’s finding themselves. Why? I know myself. I’m a 24 year old unemployed ginger with a peculiar fondness for beards, and I like beer more than wine.

I want to lose myself. Escape the routine, the familiarity. Here’s my map for success.

1. Have a semi-traumatic experience, like being laid off from your career two days before your birthday.

2. Go on a two month bender dubbed “The Summer of Candice,” with highlights including hot tubs and homemade wine.

3. Have a certain amount of tumultuous love affairs with men ranging from 0-10 on the Douchebag Scale.

4. Buy a one-way ticket to a city of your choice.

5. Plan an impromptu, one-day roadtrip with a strange man you’ve only met two months ago for a few days. (Just kidding, Carlo. Maybe.) Also, a ziplining tour and water-park adventure with a girl named Steph you’ve only met last week and all her friends you haven’t met yet.

6. Don’t die.

I fell hard for Cape Breton.

I fell hard for Cape Breton.

Somewhere on the island of Cape Breton, after Markland Beach and the Highlands with its giant crashing waves and green hills and chirping crickets, zooming down mountains in a car rental and finding another perfect curvy landscape around the next corner, I might have shed a tear of happiness. A thousand miles from home, in a new setting where beer is only sold warm at the local Co-Op, hearts and fragile egos mend, and new beginnings…begin.

Seriously, despite the sunburned arm and the mosquito bites on my ass, I am so blessed.

  • August 28 2010

    Dang. That was quick.

    • August 28 2010

      It’s amazing what one accomplishes when not drinking on a Saturday night.

  • August 28 2010

    I like your plan. Maybe I will adopt it myself.

    • August 31 2010

      DO IT. It works. Maybe I’ll write an ebook.

  • August 28 2010

    Cape Breton heals.

    • August 31 2010

      Fell for that place harder than anything in my life. Amazing.

  • August 28 2010

    Hi Candice,

    I just stumbled upon this page of your blog (literally) and thought what an interesting way your opening line is to be introduced to someone. I like your plan and had similar motivations for taking a trip around Australia. Although I had a completely different approach to loosing myself. I tried the more direct approach of actually trying to get lost.
    Just a little word of warning though. In your attempt to try and loose yourself, you may just achieve the opposite.
    Either way, I’m going to be following along with your journey from now on :)

    • August 31 2010

      Awesome, thanks so much, James! Your plan sounds a little braver than mine, hahaha. But who knows, perhaps I shall join you in Australia.

      • September 04 2010

        Just remember that
        “Brave” is in the eye of the beholder…
        No, hang on that’s not right.
        I’m Brave, therefore I am..
        No, not right either
        Oh yeah, I remember the quote I’m after.
        Some say Brave, some say stupid…
        Yep, definitely more fitting.
        Visiting and hanging out in Oz is never a bad thing. I could show you some great places to loose yourself in ;-)

        • September 06 2010

          Hahaha, thanks James, might take you up on that offer!

  • August 28 2010
    LightBright

    Love this! I lost myself purposely a few years ago and it was a beautiful experience. I wish you the best.

  • August 28 2010

    Love your plan. I think I should adopt it as well

    • August 31 2010

      Do it, including the torrid love affairs.

  • August 29 2010

    The “Summer of Candice” sounds like it would make for an interesting book/movie.

    • August 31 2010

      Kinda sounds like a horror flick, don’t you think?

  • August 29 2010

    Love it! Sounds like things are really taking a turn for the better, knew they would!! Enjoy yourself! :)

  • August 29 2010

    Good stuff Candice. Enjoy the road trip with the strange man!

    • August 31 2010

      Oh those strange men, can’t be trusted.

  • August 29 2010
    Stephanie

    Hi Candice! I just stumbled across your blog on my quest to find some great travel blogs. Sounds like you have a great plan for the months ahead – I stress the importance of #6, because then this source of travel information and entertainment would disappear for me : )

    • August 31 2010

      Woot, thanks Stephanie! Don’t worry, that isn’t on the plate for anytime soon, hahaha.

  • August 29 2010

    LOVE that picture.
    Also very much enjoy the quick summary of this epic summer ;) It’s been a bit of a ‘lose yourself’ summer for me as well… and I guess I’ve been following your list! Definitely can tick off 1, 2, and 3… did not do 4, but my 1 was not being laid off and I like my job, so.. ;P As for 5, I’ve had multiple impromtu road trips, does that make up for them not being with a guy i hardly knew? ;D And, hey, I’ve made plans with Steph’s friends I’ve never met this summer as well!
    and so far so good on #6, though this weekend I came close ;P

    Honestly, I don’t know where I’d be without Summer of Candice…. in my more sappy and emotional moments, I’m quite sure you’ve saved my life ;) <3

    • August 31 2010

      Hahaha it’s true, you’ve been my partner in crime throughout the whole thing! And now I know never to ride on someone’s drunken shoulders/back ever again…

      • September 02 2010

        well, at least ask the guy beforehand if he’s ever dropped someone before… ;D

  • August 30 2010

    I agree with Eric above-Summer of Candice sounds like a plan for a book/movie. You know, kinda like Eat Pray Love, only with more alcohol and a much shorter period of time. And probably waaay better than the movie (although the book is great!).

    • August 31 2010

      Oh geez, I should just strap a camera to my face and go. It’d be a blast.

  • August 30 2010

    I love it when a plan comes together!

    Robin

  • August 30 2010
    Susan

    I think I know why you like beards:
    http://www.biggerbetterbeards.org/

  • August 30 2010

    Love it. Can’t wait to hear how the Autumn of Candice shapes up.

    • August 31 2010

      Hahaha, it will definitely continue along the same route, I hope.

  • August 30 2010

    That was one very interesting post.

    very serious though, i was like, am I really reading Candice?

    Then I a few sparkles of cuss words here and there and i realized, yes, this is her.

    • August 31 2010

      Hey, sometimes I have serious posts on Tangly, too! ;) But the cuss words, I do love those.

  • August 31 2010

    Love it Candice! And I second production of Summer of Candice, first book followed by movie.

    • August 31 2010

      Hahahaha, well then, perhaps I’ll have to do just that.

  • August 31 2010

    Seriously, I don’t know what my deal is this morning.. whether it’s lack of sleep or overload of hormones, but this post just made me well up! I know there are such good things ahead, and I’m pumped about your new journey!

    • August 31 2010

      Awww, yay!! I’m glad! Which reminds me I haven’t checked in on you in awhiel, ahahah. Life is madness!

  • September 01 2010

    I need to know more about this zip-lining adventure! Why have I never done that and I live here???
    Oh man you are going to have to add waaaay more things to that list after I get back :)

    • September 06 2010

      Oh god it was lame as shit, remind me to tell you sometime. Or have I already? Hahaha.

  • September 01 2010

    damn. this may be my favorite thing you’ve ever written Candice!

  • September 02 2010

    Nice post! I don’t like to drink on Saturday night. Actually i am planning for travel so that it may be helpful for me. Thanks……

  • September 05 2010

    Killer, Candice. I know it’s a cliche, but these upsets in life are what really defines us. How we choose to respond to them and what we decide to do. Keep on not dying, kicking ass and taking names!

    • September 06 2010

      Thanks, Kate! Although for the most part things keep going awry. Karma better not have something to do with this.

  • September 14 2010

    Awesome… I am totally at the traveling to “lose myself” point. Some of my best trips (like the one I took this past summer) have been at the point where losing myself has been most necessary. Sounds like losing yourself was well worth it!

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