Almost as entrenched as SAT tutors or senior prom, spring break has become a tradition for seniors at Manhattan’s private schools and a few affluent public schools in the New York suburbs. It involves gathering with several hundred other overachievers for a week or more in the Bahamas or Mexico, unsupervised but for the presence of their fellow travelers in calculus or advanced bio. In other words, not supervised at all.
Tomorrow at 9am Alexander is leaving for Paradise Island. His passport is up-to-date. I got him an American Express card, his first. The reservations are all made. His airplane seat is assigned. His room, with two other classmates, is confirmed. I’ve even made him a rough list of what to pack.
I go to the Farmer’s Market and splurge on cinnamon Danish twists. I come home and wake Alexander around ten, then remind him of the few things he still has to do. “You need to go buy sneakers. And don’t forget to get suntan lotion, a small tube of toothpaste and shampoo. Oh, and you should probably pack soon.” The response is expected but unwelcome: “Why do you always have to nag? It’s so annoying?”
Although the to do list is short, it takes Alexander until six to complete it. And now he’s running late. He is spending the night with a friend in Riverdale, whose father will drive them to the airport in the morning. Before leaving, I run through the rules one last time:
- Never go any where alone
- Do not take drugs
- Do not buy drugs (you don’t want to be arrested in a foreign country)
- Do not over drink (being drunk is unattractive and dangerous)
- Do not sleep until 1 and miss out on your trip
- Do not go to the casino with any more money than what you can lose
- Do not take any gypsy cabs
- Do not take or receive cell phone calls (each is over $2.00 per minute)
- Do not forget to text me every morning so I know you’re okay
- Have fun
I hope he listens.
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