Wednesday, May 02, 2007

my favourite mistake.

"insteach of studying for finals, what about just going to the bahamas and catching some rays? maybe you'll flunk, but you might have flunked anyway, that's my point." -jack handy

i have made a lot of mistakes in my life. when i was born, i was over 9 pounds (sorry mom). when i was 8, i tried to run away from home dressed like little bo peep. when i was 10 i stole 20 dollars from my mom's purse and got caught red handed. one year, i searched for my christmas gifts, and found them a week before the holidays - and had to fake surprise on christmas day. in acapulco on our grad trip, i had too much tequila and passed out with my eyes open. and last week, i booked a last minute trip to the uk.

if you are anything like my parents, you are probably flipping out as you read this.

"ANOTHER TRIP?", they exclaimed.
"yes", i answered.
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? DO YOU HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS?"
"err... not realllllly", i responded meekly, "but i'll figure it out".

the options at this point were clear: rob a bank or steal money out of my mom's purse. since i got caught stealing from my mom the first time, i counted that option out. and since robbing a bank is kind of a recipe for a disaster, that got a veto as well. now the opions were really clear: i had just made a really BIG mistake. but a mistake that i am happy to live with - a wonderful, financially unsound, lovely mistake.

i justified the trip to myself in many ways.
-carolynn really needs a visit. and i really need some quality caro and kristin time. and carolynn won't be living in london forever!
-i have many friends around the uk, so i will have loads of couches to crash on. expenses, aside from the plane ticket, will be minimal.
-this is my last large bulk of time off before i start working full-time. i want to make the most of it so i am ready to buckle down and work in august.

but let's be honest. i wasn't really justifying the trip to myself, i was justifying it to my parents. ultimately, i really want to go. i am at my happiest when i am travelling, exploring new places and keeping in touch with my friends. it is what i love most in the world.

i leave next week! but first: a few more days in ottawa catching up with friends and family and five days in toronto for a bachelorette and lots of visits.

back to the game. go ottawa.

3 comments:

Stephen Johns said...

You never, ever need to justify a trip to the UK.

But if you're looking for other reasons...hey, you get to see me this weekend! Plus, you'd already have been in Toronto for your bachelorette party--so really, the train ticket can't even be factored in. So that's like $100 you didn't *really* spend. And PLUS, you're only young once. So screw cost--you've got eighty years to work your way out of debt!

Although I wish you'd have waited til August--then we coulda done it together. :)

gulldogg said...

Steve, you owe me a trip here before you make any more to the UK.

sarah. said...

well said, gulley. steve -- i think you have been told!