GARDENIA YOU READ MY EXACT THOUGHTS

About the France thing...I just got up today and one of the first things I thought about was going on a trip. I think it's because I've been hearing a lot of people lately talking about going backpacking across Europe for the summer or road tripping all down California. (of course they are a bunch of rich kids who have the money for that) And I've really been considering it. Why can't we do that? One thing that I've learned while I'm at school is that even though I don't feel like an adult (And let's face it, anyone who says they do is a liar. Being an adult isn't a feeling, it's an action), I do realize that now I can do whatever I want. Honestly. Some days I'll just take the train to some part of the city and I'll just wander around for a little while. I'll lay in my bed all day, just reading. I'll eat ice cream three times a day because there's no one to stop me. Now I know it's kind of impossible for you guys to just take the train anywhere, but we have reached an age of independence that we've never had before. Like Gardenia, you were surprised when you're parents let you stay out so late after the game. We're responsible for getting ourselves up, getting to school, doing our homework, finding jobs, solely for the benefit of ourselves. Because we know the only way to get what we want for ourselves is to do these things. Everyone always says that the decisions you make as a teenager affect the rest of your life. I don't think that's true. It's the decisions we make in these next ten years that are going to shape who we become. This is when we strike out and find out who we really are. Everything after this is a dismal abyss of mundane domesticity. We have to experience as much as we can now or we'll spend the rest of our lives regretting it.

So, with that said, I think it would be a great idea to go on a trip. Now, I don't think it's possible to do it next summer or anything, but I was thinking in three or four years, maybe as a graduation thing, because, let's face it, hardly anyone has a job, and we kinda need money for these things. So, a couple years from now, give us plenty of time to get jobs and start saving as much as we can. And then just go somewhere. Anywhere. We could go to France, like Gardenia said, another country in Europe, or a bunch of different ones since everything is so close. We could go to somewhere in Asia, go on an adventure like Marissa said. We could even stay in the U.S. and go on a road trip. I know everyone always slights the U.S. but I've been on so many vacations around the country and I'm convinced we have one of the most badass countries in the world as far as beauty and diversity. Or we could go up into Canada. There are so many possibilities.

So, if you guys are serious about wanting to do it, let's start throwing ideas out there. We can get together over Thanksgiving or Christmas break and really have a serious discussion about it. It could just be a transient spark of ambition, but I'm all aboard with this because it would be amazing. I think I'm gonna go out and buy a notebook just for planning this. We can really do it! We just have to work hard and stay committed, and the pay off will be so worth it.

Let me know what you guys think!

Alex