"I didn't think my 20's would be like this." I admitted to Valerie. We were sitting in her car, eating greasy food out of paper bags. It was an admission that came about due to our current situation. We were eating cheap food in her car that only had half a tank of gas, yet the feeling of wanderlust lingered as we stayed idle in a random parking lot. It felt like an impulse, that if we didn't find something to do, we'd be left with this feeling that would only grow.
As a kid, I always fancied myself a cosmopolitan being. I would fake a British accent, learn a few sentences of Japanese, watch movies in French, and daydream about all the places I would visit. I thought that by 20, I would have been to almost every state and would be moving on to see the world. I would have a suitcase with all of those stickers on it, indicative of my travels and my apartment would be filled with weird things I picked up along the way. In reality, I don't even have a passport; I've only ever been to Wisconsin. Last month I went to Springfield, something I always wanted to do, and much to my chagrin, I realized it was nothing special.
The neighborhood I live in is what I refer to as "Pseudo-Chicago," meaning, it's Chicago, but it's cookie-cutter homes from the 1950's and 1960's that were once owned by nuclear families and now house the families of soccer moms--an updated nuclear family. In short, we have a Chicago zip code with a suburban atmosphere. You have to drive far away to start seeing anything you'd like to do. If you do find something, it's either not free and super taxed, or it's outside and you are at the mercy of our oscillating weather.
Even with the limitations on what we could do, I remained inspired. One of my favorite shows is Comedy Central's "Broad City." It chronicles the everyday follies of 20-something best buds, Abbi and Ilana. The show has such charm, making the everyday, mundane events seem entertaining as long as you're going through it with your best friend. With the girls living in New York and being pretty fresh out of college, it's safe to say that "Broad City" is extremely relatable.
What makes the show special is that Abbi and Ilana are able to make their own adventures, so Valerie and I set off to do just that. Feeling the twinge of nostalgia of how I used to imagine my 20s, I also remember claiming that I would never grow up; I'd be Peter Pan, essentially a child in an adult body. I feel like I have stayed pretty true to that promise I made to myself, but just to make sure, I chose a destination that would be reminiscent of that.
The following, are vestiges from the adventure that we created.
An adventure doesn't need to be somewhere far away. It just needs to be some where you can have fun and preferably with someone you can have fun with. I didn't think my 20s were going to turn out this way, but I can't say that I am dissatisfied. After all, I still have 9 years and 5 months left of them. One of these years, I'll take the plunge and buy a plane ticket. However, for now, I'm happy for the mini-vacations leading up to that moment.
