In the midst of the Croatian War of Independence, Ljiljana Coklin, today a lecturer in the Writing Department at UC Santa Barbara, was just a college student trying to complete her degree and escape chaos. Academically focused and driven, she finished her undergraduate education, and found immediate refuge in Canada. Today, she calls Santa Barbara her home. Her winding path to Santa Barbara brings up numerous unanswered questions of how she found her way here and where she’s headed. In her distinct Croatian accent, she opens up to answer these questions and tell her story.