Traveling

[Jessica Ballantyne]

I wanted to travel since I was 18. The summer I graduated from high school and got ready for college, I thought about studying art and freely just visiting places everywhere. Not realizing that it's a very expensive hassle to fly to other countries, let alone, you need to really plan your routes wisely. Well, when I was in college, I decided to take a road trip to New York. At this time, I was quite a daydreamer too. This would take place during reading week in February. I argued with my family about this, but managed to get currency out of the bank, pack my bags, and get ready to leave. It was a freezing trip and I was in a bus full of party animals. Suddenly a girl sat beside me and stared at me intently, asking me why I was sleeping in the wrong bus full of non-sleepers. I should of picked the sleeping bus, but I didn't think. I showed the bus guard my passport and we were on our way to New York. On a pit stop, I sat in front of this girl, who was always staring at me so intently and critically. I told her I was nervous to be on this trip, as I never traveled alone before. I was 19 years old. Once we got to the city and arrived at hostel, we joined a group session with speakers, and then chose a motel room to stay in. I just so happened to share a room and a bunk bed with that girl I was with earlier. It's beats me why I wanted to share a bunk bed with someone who didn't particularly think I had a brain. When students dispersed into groups to visit their favourite tour spots, I had nobody to go with, except that girl who stared at me like I was a doofus. She was going towards Central Park, and I decided to follow...but I could've just went my own way and learned to tour the city by myself, but I was very young and never been to New York. It was a humungous place, and I just had a road map. She seemed very confident and obviously has traveled alone before. So we stuck together. Though it didn't take long, before she stopped on the path, and said to me "Question. Why would you come to New York if you were nervous?" It seemed that she was trying to get rid of me. I suddenly panicked and dashed off into the park. "Distraught?" she asked in a smart tone. I could've went back to the motel to plan a visit to a shopping mall or an art gallery. But I couldn't think...so I stayed with this girl, as she continued speaking to me like I was an idiot. The day got dark, and we later met a group of students to go for a night in the town. At one point on the intersection, I suddenly shut my eyes, because I was daydreaming. I heard a big "Boo!" It was the girl I hung out with all day. At this point, I found her attitude cool and insensitive. I didn't make a friend, I made a frenemy. After our night outing, I walked to a nearby restaurant to feed myself, as these tourists didn't seem to eat and sleep. Just party and drink all night long. I went back to my motel room to listen to music and sketch concepts onto my paper pad. My daydreams got intense with the music, and I whispered "He's right," with my head phones on. I was thinking about my dad discussing how impractical my choice of career was, but didn't realize I spoke out loud. "Whose right?" said a voice from below, it was the girl again. Her head was cocked from under my top bunk, and she intently stared at me with a long teethy smile and dark brown eyes. "My dad," I replied. "OoooKeey," she replied, sounded a little creeped out and continued to read. Rest of the trip, I hung out with other people who were nicer to me. It's a good thing I did. This trip too place was 15 years ago. Since then I didn't travel alone, and went places with family for a change. You never know who you might meet. But I learned that if you want to enjoy visiting another country, don't hang out with someone whose clearly going to spoil your fun and make you feel miserable. Go with a few friends or with someone you love. Make sure you plan your routes well, save enough money and get prepared. Above all, leave your daydreaming back at home. Daydreaming about traveling the world might be fun, but you do have to be "here" to to make your plan function correctly. And try not to get lost and lose your things. Well in my twenties I wanted to travel to other countries, US and Canada. Only problem was my family got hold of my maladaptive daydreaming and my mother wasn't happy letting me go anywhere without running into consequences...let alone knowing where the hell I'm going. I go on Facebook and find that my peers have been traveling with no inconvenience, and I'm jealous of their skill sets and sound mind. Although, I couldn't afford to travel for years due to unstable employment. So I'm waiting until I'm a little bit older and maintained a career to actually do this with ease. 

[Alice no país das ilusões]

Oi Jessica, também sussurro às vezes. Apesar de ser nova e meus devaneios ainda serem recentes estou preocupada