ABSTRACT
Before I knew it the month of July arrived. Only eight months had passed since I had returned home from Vancouver, and here I was leaving again. I had already earned the label of “the irresponsible, unconventional one,” and was the greatest source of worry for my parents because I wasn’t doing anything that showed them any promise for a solid future. They tried to have me contract their fears and limited way of thinking by telling me that I would end up alone and financially insecure. I understood that their struggle in dealing with Mathew’s death had left them emotionally crippled, and that seeing one of their children venture so far away from them must have been terribly stressful for them. But they never tried to see my point of view, even after I tried to clarify all the measures Dianne and I had taken to ensure our safety. The only member of my family who didn’t think the idea was crazy was Marc, as he and Alice were planning to take a year’s trip to Europe and Africa after they graduated from architectural school, before settling down to work.
