Karissa Pelletier

Compulsion

I should start by saying that I’m not usually this type of person. The type to quit their job at a law firm, put their house on the market, and get on standby at the airport for whatever the next flight is out of the country. That’s not me. However, on this one blustery, rainy day in Seattle in late October, I was exactly that person. Before I could control this urge, this driving compulsion pushing me headlong into the unknown, I was halfway across the Atlantic heading to Croatia. I landed at the Zadar Airport and searched the directory for the next bus to an island, any island. Island. I thought to myself. I need to be on an island. Just before I got on the bus, a tall woman in a mismatched suit stopped me. Her pink hat with her lime green suit made her standout amongst the bustle of people going about their business.