Posts by George Cook54

Casey Bailey said:Was he a friend?

Nah, he wasn't. He's coming out this summer!

cosmicdriver42 said:Nice move. He hosted you and your buddy, so it’s only right to return the favor. How long does the bus ride actually take?
How about taking the train to Spain? I'm thinking about making the trip myself, but I'm not exactly a fan of flying.

It depends. That bus ride isn't going to be under 20 hours. Personally, when I did the trek to Spain, I used an Interrail pass. It wasn't exactly a straight shot, either—I stopped in a few cities along the way, so my trip took way longer than necessary, maybe three days haha. It also really depends on what kind of trains you catch; I was mostly bouncing between local ones. On the way back, we basically lived on trains and it took us about two days just to get back home. But look, if you book night trains or those high-speed lines, you'll save a ton of time. If you have more questions, just shoot me a DM. 🙂

Nah, I just asked her for some advice. I'd already made up my mind, though. Called a buddy to let him know and, of course, he was down. 🙂

I thought about getting him an aeronautical chart, but I’ve never actually bought one before. No clue how the process works or even how you'd go about gifting it... total zero experience there. Whatever, he'll find his way to me eventually. I'll make sure he has a place to crash so he can actually get some rest. 😁 I spent days on end bouncing around on trains all summer, and honestly? I'd do it all over again. It's a small price to pay for the kind of experience I had. Totally worth the hassle. 🙂
Mother says, "Son, you're being way too generous." xD

Yeah, I’m still chewing on a few details before I pull the trigger, so nothing is set in stone just yet. But honestly? It feels like a solid move. No bad vibes here.
It’s easily one of the best gifts out there. I mean, I live for traveling myself. There's an old saying that hits the nail on the head: "Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." 😁

I'm counting on it. My parents' support is a given—now I just gotta get him settled over here 😁

Is it a lot? Honestly, depends on my budget. Yeah, it's all my money—saved up over a long time. And since I barely spent anything on this trip thanks to his hospitality, I actually ended up with even more left over. My mother gave me total freedom to spend it however I want, but she also dropped some advice that’s got me second-guessing everything now. It might seem like peanuts to you guys since you're used to steady paychecks and stuff, but for a college student like me, it’s a decent chunk of change. Since I lack that life experience or whatever, I really wanted to hear what others think. Seriously, thanks for the replies. No matter how silly it sounds, it helped 😛

Alright, fine. So what’s the verdict? I'm still on the fence myself...🙂

Thanks for the reply!
Seriously though, if someone would just gift me that for my birthday, man...
So, bus tickets are the cheapest way to go, but they aren't even on sale for next summer yet. Prices usually hover around $65. Honestly, I don't see that being an issue for an experience that could be unforgettable for both him and me. My mom thinks differently, though, haha. Anyway...

A buddy I met online a little while back is celebrating his birthday in less than a month. I’ve got plenty of friends in my actual life, but this guy feels like exactly the kind of friend I’d want—we’re super close and totally open with each other. He lives in Spain, and this past summer, I scored some free train tickets, so I decided to head over there with one of my local friends to visit him. That was our first and only time hanging out in person. Honestly, he hosted us better than anyone I've ever known; showed us around his city and his whole country. He really proved what a solid friend he is.
I’ve been brainstorming gift ideas, and a slightly crazy thought popped into my head. Since he’s turning 18—which is a pretty big milestone—I want to do something special. My idea? Buy him bus tickets to America. It would be my chance to host him, show him my side of things, and actually hang out in person again. I think we'd both love it. It’s a pretty expensive gift, though it wouldn't break my bank personally. The thing is, I can't decide if it's actually rational. I asked my mom, and she thinks I'm being overkill. What do you guys think? If an internet friend offered you something like this, would you find it acceptable, or just too much?