Allison Glendinning turned out the fluorescent lights on her government desk for the last time in 2012 to wander the globe. After developing an allergy to banana republics and hostel toilets, she enrolled in a creative writing program at the University of Southern California. When she is not telling awkward jokes in front of a classroom full of sleepy Trojan freshmen, she ponders life's more important questions, namely: How can a Type-A thirtysomething find peace in Los Angeles? Where does a single woman with no parents find a home? Can a handstand be fueled by profanity alone? You can follow her at www.rucksackrubia.com.