History Main / LeavingYouToFindMyself

* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'': After just having gotten back together earlier in the season, Angela leaves Shawn to go traveling with her dad near the end of the final season. [[spoiler:Then it's later revealed she got married to someone else]].

* Any game with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters will generally have one of them go on a journey to find themselves in the epilogue. Examples include the ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series, the FireEmblem series, and ''VideoGame/VandalHearts''.

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* A riff on this is the OneLiner, usually found on [[FunTShirt t-shirts]], etc:
-->I've gone to find myself. If I'm not back before I return, keep me here.

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* The first season finale of ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'' has [[spoiler:Fred [[BreakTheCutie find out that]] [[YoureNotMyFather Mayor Jones isn't his real father and took him from his real parents, Brad and Judy of the original Mystery Incorporated,]] [[ScoobyDooHoax to protect the Treasure of Crystal Cove]]. He then breaks up his engagement with Daphne to find his real parents, not long after he stopped being so ObliviousToLove.]] Not bad for a ScoobyDoo show, am I right?

* Any game with LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters will generally have one of them go on a journey to find themselves in the epilogue. Examples include the {{Suikoden}} series, the FireEmblem series, and ''VideoGame/VandalHearts''.

While this trope normally applies to lovers, it can also apply to family members and friends as well. Compare DramaBombFinale.

** It's a real head-scratcher, because we never find out where he went or what he did while there, or what everyone else has been up to while he's gone. It looked like they were going to ''try'' to do a sequel, but for some reason never did, so it's just a CliffHanger.

* [[JonathanCoulton Not About You]] appears to be about this, and mentions it almost by name: "I saw that movie where the guy gets dumped and the girl goes off to find herself."

* The TRAIN song 'Drops of Jupiter' sung from the perspective of the abandoned lover:

* ''Freebird'' by Lynyrd Skynyrd describes a man who wants to leave his partner [[GoingToSeeTheElephant so he can travel the world]]. It is most notable for its opening line being grammatically wrong ("If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?" should be "''will'' you still remember me", or alternately it should be "if I ''left'' here tomorrow"), and for having a sweet guitar solo at the end.

* Lily attempted this on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': When she was offered an art fellowship in San Francisco, she took it because she regretted not having followed her dream of becoming an artist and wanted to find out who she was without Marshall, as the two had been practically inseparable since their first week of college. She doesn't really want to break up, but Marshall told her [[CareerVersusMan she had to choose]], since he refused to wait for her. When she gets back, it becomes a BreakUpToMakeUp scenario for them both, once Marshall realized a break was good for them, telling her they should continue to figure out who they are without each other, and initially rejecting her when she tried to make up.

* Implied in the ''Series/GilmoreGirls'' when Rory's rebellious boyfriend [[{{JerkWithAHeartOfGold}} Jess]] runs away to find his real father. It's obvious he [[{{AnguishedDeclarationOfLove}} never stopped loving her]], but needed to sort himself out before committing. Sure enough when he returns, he's a [[{{SelfMadeMan}} successful author and publisher]]. Its just a pity he didn't let her in on the plan before...

* Ramona Flowers did this in ''ScottPilgrim''. Though she does come back.

* In ''Theatre/NextToNormal'', Dan has coped with Diana's bipolar disorder for over a decade and, recently, while struggling with his own depression. As the play ends, Diana decides she needs to cope on her own (oddly enough, by running off to her parents' house...) and leaves Dan behind with the farewell gift of their dead son's spectre. Needless to say, he isn't too happy about this, but both sides are seen as sympathetic.

* In ''Theatre/NextToNormal'', Dan has coped with Diana's bipolar disorder for over a decade and, recently, while struggling with his own depression. As the play ends, Diana decides she needs to cope on her own (oddly enough, by running off to her parents' house...) and leaves Dan behind with the farewell gift of their dead son's spectre.

* One of the possible endings in ''KanaLittleSister''.

While this trope normally applies to lovers, it can also apply to family members and friends as well.

-->--Music/{{Lonestar}}, "No News"

* ''Series/BoyMeetsWorld'': After just having gotten back together earlier in the season, Angela leaves Shawn to go traveling with her dad near the end of the final season.

* [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Ash]] does this to [[{{Tsundere}} Mary-Lynette]] in [[NightWorld Daughters of Darkness]], vowing to return to her when he's [[TheAtoner slain the dragon of his past.]]

* In ''NextToNormal'', Dan has coped with Diana's bipolar disorder for over a decade and, recently, while struggling with his own depression. As the play ends, Diana decides she needs to cope on her own (oddly enough, by running off to her parents' house...) and leaves Dan behind with the farewell gift of their dead son's spectre.

* ''HeatGuyJ'' ends this way, with Daisuke leaving the city, his loved ones, and best friend behind...which comes off as a total non-sequitur since he spent most of the series talking about how much he loved the city.

* The reason for [[spoiler: Chuck and Blair]]'s latest break-up on ''GossipGirl''.

* The mother (played by Meryl Streep) in the movie ''KramerVsKramer''.
* The movie ''EatPrayLove'' is about a woman who realizes she is unhappy in her marriage, divorces her husband, and travels around the world to find herself.
* Nicely subverted in ''GardenState''. The protagonist says this to his lover...then returns from offscreen and says, that come to think of it, that's a ''horrible'' idea.

* In the second ''HighSchoolMusical'', Gabriella decides she needs to do this, as she so eloquently sums up in song. She comes back, though.

* In ''FriendlyHostility'', you could argue that Fox was reckless, empathy-challenge and occasionally downright stupid, but one thing no-one could question was his devotion to his boyfriend, Collin. The pair weathered family woes, financial hardship and employment issues together, with each prepared to make massive sacrifices for the other...until the denoument, where a more "developed" Collin decided Fox was no longer meeting his needs. All of Fox's positive deeds were obliterated by Collin's AccentuateTheNegative tendencies, and the "grown up" Collin makes it clear that he wants to move on. He would probably have received the audience's unreserved sympathy if Fox hadn't been [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty trying to change for the better]] while Collin was dithering and angsting while messing with Fox's head.
** WordOfGod has Collin's decision to terminate his relationship with Fox as a major CharacterDevelopment hallmark, explicitly stating in ''OtherPeoplesBusiness'' that Collin was a much more rounded character after ditching Fox, marrying Leon, and returning to [[ManipulativeBastard his parents']] good graces. Meanwhile, Fox had such a complete [[HeroicBSOD romantic BSOD]] that ''his'' family struggled to pick up the pieces. Mitigating factor: Fox and Collin ''did'' try counselling before this. Non-mitigating-factor: by all indications, Collin wasn't half as interested in repairing the relationship as Fox was, and rather than terminate the relationship honestly and face up to the pain he knew he'd cause, Collin tried to do a [[NotStayingForBreakfast moonlight flit]].
* Before ''FriendlyHostility'', the friendship version occurred in ''BoyMeetsBoy''. Skids "grows up", reclaims his proper name, Gio, [[ItsAllJunk gets rid of his hat]]...and moves to New York, resolving never to see his old friends again.
* At the end of the [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20080927.html "There But For the Grace"]] arc in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' Galatea leaves her newfound family to go explore the world -- her stated reason being that she's genetically identical to Molly, and she's afraid that if she stays in the environment that molded Molly, she'll stop being her own person.

* In one of JodiPicoult's novels, the father of the family relates the tale of one of his coworkers who stood staunchly by his wife as she fought cancer. When she was better, she dumped her husband, claiming that she wanted more from life. The father's initial reaction was that the woman was a monster, but after looking after a sick daughter himself, he could understand where she was coming from.

* Creator/HenrikIbsen's ''Theatre/ADollsHouse'', OlderThanRadio and a TropeCodifier in the world of theatre. After subservient and sweet-natured Nora forges a signature to save her husband Thorvald - her one and only show of initiative up until this point - he suddenly turns on her when this "deception" is revealed. As she realises their entire marriage is built on lies and she is nothing other than a "doll" to him, she decides to leave in order to develop her own personality. Less sympathetic, though, is her decision to abandon her children into the bargain. ValuesDissonance may play a part here - at the time it was written, it would probably be extremely difficult for a "rogue" wife to get custody of her children. However, Nora's final speech suggests that even if it were possible to keep the children, she wouldn't even try. Notably, Nora is aware that the children are under the care of a trusted nurse.

* Not many would question Nora's decision to leave her husband after he shows his true colours in Ibsen's ''Theatre/ADollsHouse.'' After subservient and sweet-natured Nora forges a signature to save her husband - her one and only show of strength up until this point - he suddenly turns on her when this "deception" is revealed. As she realises that he will stop loving her if she is anything other than a "doll" for him, she decides to leave in order to develop her own personality. Less sympathetic, though, is her decision to abandon her children into the bargain. ValuesDissonance may play a part here - at the time it was written, it would probably be extremely difficult for a "rogue" wife to get custody of her children. However, Nora's final speech suggests that even if it were possible to keep the children, she wouldn't even try. Notably, Nora is aware that the children are under the care of a trusted nurse.

* In ''ChinesePaladin'', Ling'er does this near the middle of the series. Her stated reason is that she's just found out her [[DivineParentage heritage]] and needs time to come to terms with it.

* BoyMeetsWorld: After just having gotten back together earlier in the season, Angela leaves Shawn to go traveling with her dad near the end of the final season.
* Implied in the GilmoreGirls when Rory's rebellious boyfriend [[{{JerkWithAHeartOfGold}} Jess]] runs away to find his real father. It's obvious he [[{{AnguishedDeclarationOfLove}} never stopped loving her]], but needed to sort himself out before committing. Sure enough when he returns, he's a [[{{SelfMadeMan}} successful author and publisher]]. Its just a pity he didn't let her in on the plan before...

* Before ''FriendlyHostility'', the friendship version occurred in BoyMeetsBoy. Skids "grows up", reclaims his proper name, Gio, [[ItsAllJunk gets rid of his hat]]...and moves to New York, resolving never to see his old friends again.

* The first season finale of ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated has [[spoiler:Fred [[BreakTheCutie find out that]] [[YoureNotMyFather Mayor Jones isn't his real father and took him from his real parents, Brad and Judy of the original Mystery Incorporated,]] [[ScoobyDooHoax to protect the Treasure of Crystal Cove]]. He then breaks up his engagement with Daphne to find his real parents, not long after he stopped being so ObliviousToLove.]] Not bad for a ScoobyDoo show, am I right?