Very Indecisive

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Not this weekend but next I am going to Boston for 4 days. This is for a Debate Tournament. I am a freshman therefore have never been. Every year they tell me they drink and party. i have been invited to do this as well. First, I want to be accepted by the seniors and I also sort of want to drink but then again I know it is wrong and would feel guilty. Next, one of those seniors, who is the number one debater in the state, has invited me to spend the night over at her house before we leave for the for Boston because she lives close to the airport. She is absolutly beautiful and smart and I really want to go, but I'm not sure if I should lie to my mother to do so. I am pretty sure she won't let me spend the night at a female seniors house. I am not sure what to do on either. Any suggestions?

Much Appreciated

Don Won

Whether it's drink or sex, in the end you'll probably get more respect - you'll certainly have more self-respect - if you make your own choices rather than do what everyone else is doing. People who do things to be accepted are very easily manipulated.

I understand that view point, but I'm not even going over there to have sex, I just admire her and she is just so wonderful it is hard not to do what she says. And the drinking part is very iffy for me. I want to and I don't want to. I am so confused.

To me you sound like a really smart kid with a lot going for you. As such, I bet you know what the right thing for you is. But at the same time, I know how hard it can be to make the right choices against peer pressure, especially for teenagers. But Ineligible is right. Make YOUR choices. Not someone else's. Even someone you admire.

As for the party in Boston. That is absolutely the coolest city in the US of A. There is so much to do and see there. How about instead of partying with the "regret it later" crowd, you find another level-headed friend or two and take in as much of the city as you can. It will be a much better experience and will also give you a credible excuse not to join the riff-raff.

I'm not sure why your parents would mind if you stayed over at a girl's house. Staying over doesn't imply jumping her bones. I assume she has parents. Why don't you hook your parents up with her parents on the phone?If those guys are drinking and partying, there's no need to hang out with them. If you must go to one of their parties, you can just carry around the same drink all night, and dump it at the end. Have a coke with no rum. Just don't let yourself be bulldozed into doing anything you don't want to do. Tough sh*t if they don't like it. I don't think anyone will give you a hard time, though.I don't know where you're coming from, but definitely bring warm clothes and waterproof shoes to Boston. If you're staying in the city, then get a "T" (subway) pass. You can get pretty much anywhere on the train. Do you know where you'll be staying in Boston?

It's amazing how many fond memories I have of the T.

It gets c-o-l-d waiting for the Green Line E train. The Red Line is cool, though.

If it's above 0 I'd love it about now.

Be your own man. This is where you start making those choices in life. Do you want to be a looser that follows all the other looser off the cliff or do you want to have a life? Nothing is hotter to a female than I guy that has his Sh&t together. Why do you think chicks ask guys what they do for a living? Not all of us a gold diggers but we all ask that question.

The only bad experience I ever had on the T was going to Fenway Park (is that the orange line?) in the middle of a very hot summer. The train was crowded and suffocatingly hot. A kid passed out, so naturally someone pulled the emergency "stop" cord. The conductor stopped alright...at the next stop. Fortunately the kid was alright.Other than that, I love the T.

Green Line! The Green Line trains are usually air conditioned, but sometimes equipment fails.Each of their four subway lines use incompatible cars, so their ability to stock spares is limited.On a commuter train a few years ago, someone had a medical crisis, but the conductor kept going for a few more stops before they met an ambulance. The person died. That led to the end of the MBTA's contract with Amtrak to run their commuter rail operation.Driving in and around Boston is awful. That place would be a real disaster without the trains.

Driving in Boston! Another fond memory.We actually coined the phrase 'Boston U-ie' (rhymes with Dewey). People will do a u-turn anywhere in that city, not just at intersections. Most of the driving I did was around the Dorcester area. Not too bad.

People will do a u-turn anywhere in that cityHey, I did that! At the time, I didn't even know it was illegal, even though I'd get a "WTF?" from people driving with me.And in the couple of milliseconds it takes for the red light to come on fully, five cars will go through the intersection. Surprisingly, Boston's traffic fatality rate in not that high. Not that there aren't a lot of accidents, but the place is so choked with traffic that people aren't going fast when they hit each other.I used to shop at the Target and Home Depot in Dorchester (South Bay plaza), a small hike off the Red Line stop.

We are staying in the Boston Raddison about 5 blocks from Harvard. My teacher mentioned something about the green and yellow lines? I have no idea. And these "partiers" are actually the really smart debate kids. There are 8 of us going one of which was accepted into Harvard for college. This is the same girl that invited me to her house. MMMMM....

I used to live a block from the Boston Radisson (downtown, on Stuart St.). You might be staying at the one in Cambridge, near MIT.

Unless they've invented a new one, there's no Yellow Line. If your at the hotel in Boston, you're two blocks from the Green Line. If you're at the hotel in East Cambridge, it'll be a bit more of a hike. I hope it's not too slushy when you're there.

I'm surprised that you're on a sponsored youth trip, and there aren't adults keeping an eye on things.

Oh, we will be supervised, just not very well. Our teacher is crazy. But none the less, I am really looking forward to Boston and Harvard. Only four more days!!!

They're having a big blizzard (nor'easter) today. It should be getting warmer by Tuesday, but it is sure to be slushy. Too bad...it's been a pretty mild winter up to now.

> Oh, we will be supervised, just not very well. Our teacher is crazy.

If something extreme happens (alcohol poisoning, rape, etc.), he/she/they will likely be legally liable.

Have fun. You know what you need to do.

We leave Friday. So I've been told that the airport at Boston is very picky compared to ours about luggage. We need to pack light. So in the end I am most likely going to the girl's house and most likely will not be drinking. So I'm good. I need to find some good boots...

sorry to take this thread somewhere else, but STRONGBAD!!!