Directions

My weekend was jam packed with sight seeing, poking fun at protesters and Cats.

Sprinkled throughout all of this fun, were hour-long conversations on career choice and life-long goals.

For the most part, I'm a planner. If there is something I want to accomplish or purchase, I research what I need to acquire it, learn the best and/or fastest way of obtaining it, and then come up with a plan based on my research. Of course, there's always room for modification, but I have some kind of sketchy idea of where I want to end up and how I'm going to get there.

My friend is not a planner. She has a destination in mind, but no concept of the best way to get there or what alternatives are out there. That may work for some people but it drives me crazy. Especially when she asks me for advice.

I try to help, but I think I confuse her - throwing out lots of ideas, providing options and different scenarios. And at some point, she always looks to me and asks, "Well, which is the best route to take."

And of course, I can't provide her with one answer because hell, it all depends. Does she want to take the scenic route, enjoying the sights along the way? Maybe she's in a hurry, perhaps to arrive at the destination in four days and go 5-star all the way, even if it means accumulating debt? Or maybe she's still at a point in her life where she can strap on a backpack and hitchhike from one place to another, limited to a strict budget but no time constraints?

And the destination is a little fuzzy - she tells me, hypothetically - "Well I want to end up in California." Well... is she going to Sacramento? Or maybe she's thinking Los Angeles? Or perhaps she wants perfect weather all the time and is thinking more of southern California. To me there is a big difference between planning for a trip to San Diego and a trip to San Francisco.

I'm really at a loss on how best to advise her. How can I best be a true friend and help her? I'm at a loss..........