How My Vacation Ruined My Life (Kind of)

 Quote of the day: "All things change in a dynamic environment.  Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you." - Puppet Master

How My Vacation Ruined My Life (Kind of)
PART 1

            I had never seen the ocean.  Roughly a year ago, at the age of eighteen, I had never once seen the ocean with my own eyes.  This was the driving force for my vacation.  Before the summer of 2015 arrived, my two friends and I had been discussing a possible road trip for quite some time.  Considering we were all at least eighteen years old, the three of us felt like we were finally adults, and adults go on vacations, right?  The only other trip we had been on together was to the Omaha Zoo in Nebraska for one night.  It certainly wasn’t the most exhilarating ‘trip’, but we were taking baby steps.

As we all crammed into the hard, tattered booth at Denny’s on a bright spring morning, we talked.  The aroma from the butter slathered pancakes, crispy bacon, and caramel iced coffees aided our conversation as we mapped out an ideal vacation.  There were many different landmarks and states we wanted to visit in the United States, but what was the one common theme that persisted throughout?  The beach.  I, Ripkitten, had never been to the beach before, and that was just a tragedy.

Time quickly began to pass, and eventually summer was dangerously approaching.  My best friend, Laila, had been talking with her out-of-town relatives and worked a deal.  When she called us all on the phone, excitement ringing in her voice, she told us the good news.  Her aunt, who lived in Florida, was going to get us a hotel room for roughly $80 a night.  At first, I was reluctant.  If it was that cheap, clearly the hotel was a dump, right?  However, contrary to my initial thoughts, the hotel room we were promised belonged to a Holiday Inn & Suites (which isn’t high-end by any means, but definitely isn’t a scuzzy motel).  Things became progressively exciting.

At this point in my life, however, I was facing a predicament.  I had no money.  I was almost broke.  Of course, being unemployed for over a year will do that to you.  Especially when you’re going to college.  It wasn’t like I didn’t want a job, because I did.  My first job ever was as a cashier at a grocery store, and I was damn good at it.  I worked a long and hard almost two years there.  Unfortunately, things came up in my life and eventually everything took an awry path.  So here I was, a girl who had never been to the beach.  I had little money to my name, but I was going to go on a trip with my friends.

A little over a week before we were going to leave for Daytona, I started this blog.  Otaku Nation isn’t just the name of this blog.  Otaku Nation is something I created long before I started this, and it means so much more than just one website to express one’s self.  The vision I have for Otaku Nation is much greater than what exists right now, and I’m currently working towards expanding the creative avenues we will be utilizing.  However, I could write a whole novel about what Otaku Nation is.  That isn’t the point.  For me, starting this blog was the first step.  I was making good progress, and I had published my first post.  I was going to devote my time to watching a plentiful amount of anime, and writing.

The day before I left for my trip, I spent hours working on one post.  I hadn’t fully completed it yet, but I felt really good about it.  There were just a few more finishing touches I needed to add and then I would post it.  Unfortunately, I would have to wait until after I came back from my trip.  That didn’t happen.  That post never saw the light of day for the next year.  What happened on that trip ruined everything.  I lost a year’s worth of time because of that trip, and I can never get it back.

Hey my dear weaboos! Thanks for checking out part 1 of “How my Vacation Ruined my Life (Kind of)”! Part 2 will be out soon so make sure to check back to find out what happened.  I hope you all have a lovely day! Peace!

            -Ripkitten