Spring Break Adventures: The Introduction.

One of my favorite things to do is travel.  Anywhere, anytime, with an assortment of traveling companions or on my own, short trips or voyages.  I always knew I wanted to explore - chalk it up to the seafaring blood that pumps hearty through my veins from Portugese, Italian, British, and Swedish ancestors.  Last year's Spring Break was my first chance to really explore beyond my limited range: I boarded a plane (with the help of family and knowing there were friends waiting when I landed) for my first international adventure, to Trinidad and Tobago.  For Carnival.  It was 9 of the best, most incredible, eye-opening days of my life.

So I think it's understandable when I say I was exicted for this Spring Break but not expecting to be blown away.  After all there would be no red eye flights, no international exploration, no Soca music, no fnacy costumes and exuberent holidays. But I was offered a chnace to explore - a friend of mine's family has a summer home in New Jersey, on the coast.  A group of us were invited to spend part of break there - someplace new.  Someplace I hadn't been - which was exciting, and I jumped at the chance.  Jersey also put me closer than I'd been before to a City I'd never seen, Philidelphia.  One of my childhood friends goes to school there, majoring in filmamking.  And just outside of the city, I have an older (pseduo) brother who I love seeing but rarely see.  It was the perfect chance to have a great Spring Break.

So naturally, I hesitated.  Would I be able to afford the various buses, trains, and subways involved?  And if I could, would I have enough money to buy grocerries with after, when I was back in my small collegetown supporting myself?  And what abuot spending time with immediate family - shouldn't that always be a priority?  Back and forth, with a hundred reasons why it was just so impractical to go, why I'd be better served to stay at home and spend time with Boyfriend and Mum and the Kid.  The funny thing is, it was Mum and Boyfriend who most disapproved of my hesitation.  Mum reminded me that even if I ended up totally broke "It's ok to be poor when you're 21 - it's not ok when you're in your 40s.  You're in college, so take advantage of your one shot at being broke and traveling."  Boyfriend reminded me of how much I like to travel and how much I've always wanted to see Philly and generally miss my brother.  Their gentle prodding and the prospect of seeing my friends was enough to send me on my way - and off onto adventure.