L-Town.

I'm currently involved in a long-term, love-hate relationship. It's hard to believe it's been 12 whole years. I've thought about leaving so many times, but I never have.

It's not that I don't like Lincoln. I really do. I love it actually. It's big enough to be interesting, but small enough not to be overwhelming (I moved here from a farm outside a town with less than 700 people). Downtown and the Haymarket are full of fun little shops and boutiques and coffee shops. There's a pretty good local music scene, an amazing ice cream shop, bookstores, restaurants, you know, your typical college town. Add in all the bike paths, Husker sporting events, college, and all my friends that live here, well it's pretty much great.

I'm just tired of it. My family has lived here since I was in 3rd grade, so I don't even get to go farther than across town when I go home. I've grown used to it.

Usually, I get to go somewhere cool over the summers. Last summer, it was a week-long bike trip across the state and another week or so in Haiti. The summer before that, Minnesota and New Orleans. Before that, northern Idaho and South Dakota. Another summer was San Antonio. One summer was even Chicago, Niagara Falls (the Canadian side), New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Virgina.

This summer, so far, is nothing. Absolutely nothing. I have to take 2 summer classes, so I'm stuck in Lincoln until July 8th. Everything I was planning on going and doing happens in June (read: plans ruined).

At first, I was pretty upset about this. Most of my friends are going somewhere cool for internships or study abroad stuff or something, if not this summer then the fall semester. I'm going to be stuck here in Lincoln all by myself the entire summer working. Ickk.

Then, I realized that I'm not going to be stuck here the whole summer. I'm only stuck here for half the summer. I have an airline voucher that has to be used by September. I have an entire month when I don't have to take class, and I've got an under-used passport collecting dust on my shelf. I'm going to go somewhere cool this summer. I don't know where, and I don't know with who, but I kind of want to go to Europe. Actually, I really really really want to go to Europe.

They say that you just have to go and do things or you'll regret it. I've been kicking myself all semester for canceling my study-abroad trip to France. I know I always say I'm going to go do stuff like this, but it's happening. I don't care what happens or how much money it'll be, I'm going to hold myself to this or I'll hate myself forever. So in July, I'm going somewhere. I'm coming back in August for school in the fall, and I'm going to have the most amazing summer adventure ever.

Anyone want to come with?