A/N: I suggest listening to "Gypsy" by Lady Gaga while reading this. It influenced my writing of this.
Nikki gazed at the slightly tattered map of the world on her wall. She's had that map ever since she was twelve. Now, at seventeen, there were miscellaneous tears, a very big X that crossed out Nunavut (since she almost had to move there), plenty of marks from a red marker indicating where she would love to visit, and very few marks of black marker denoting where she had been. Her heart would always remain in Toronto; it was where she was born and raised, met the best friends she could ever have, and fell in love. But her ultimate desire was to leave the familiar behind for days or even weeks at a time to do many things.
Experiencing other cultures. Seeing important landmarks. Trying different foods. Exploring. Finding a country that was home away from home.
Unfortunately, Nikki didn't have the money to travel at her leisure just yet. That was the main reason she even worked at the Khaki Barn. Hopefully with all the extra effort she had been putting into her schoolwork, she could receive one or multiple opportunities to study abroad for free. Studying abroad would give her the chance to simultaneously explore the world and gain more experience in travel writing.
Writing about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Looking at all of New York from the top of the Empire State Building. Seeing the Great Wall of China. Kissing Jonesy near the Arc de Triomphe or, better yet, the Eiffel Tower.
When she was younger–as much as she loved and cared for her friends–she always saw herself traveling alone, but lately it seemed that thoughts of going around the world included Jonesy. She loved him. She wanted him to accompany her on her gypsy journey. In a perfect world, they would be able to hop on a plane and fly wherever they wanted or get in a car and just drive. It didn't need to be a first-class flight on a private jet or a Mercedes Benz–though she had to admit that flying and driving in those things would be nice. The plane ride could be coach or they could be riding in her mother's old hooptie from the 1980s for all she cared. She just needed an escape, especially with her parents' separation fresh in her mind. As long as they could roam the world together and he could take her away from Toronto to live her gypsy life–if only for one night–she would be happy.
Nikki smiled nostalgically. That tattered, old map held her dreams.
