All Kids Try to Run Away, Right?

I ran away from home when I was 5. Although I don't exactly remember my reasoning, I remember being convinced that I had to leave. So, I packed what clean clothes I could find (which turned out to be 2 shirts, a pair of shorts, and a pair of mismatched socks... but I forgot my shoes and underwear), my favorite book "Goodnight Moon" and I decided to run away to Paris. Then I stuff these clothes into my pillowcase and I tied my pillowcase to a curtain rod... immitating the style of hobos in cartoons. I tied my stuffed dog to my hobo-sack (convinced that she would protect me from the dangers of Paris) and I was off.

"Where are you going?" my dad asked me as I marched barefoot out the door.
"To Paris, France," I said, "Then I can sleep in the Eiffel Tower, learn French, and see a lot of French people." Amused he didn't try to stop me I continued out the door. I spent 2 hours hidden under a bush in the back yard before I was discovered. Tricked by my mom to come back inside, years later, I realized I should never have returned... but I'm not really sure how a 5-year-old would have made it to France alone. During the next 3 years, I tried to run away at least 7 more times until my mom finally made me stop. As time went by, my reasons for running away have matured and I continued to work on my escape plan... and even now!

I came across this article randomly today... it made me think of myself when I was 5...

Police foil German children's dash to Africa

Mon Jan 5, 1:35 pm ET

BERLIN (Reuters) – Three German children aged five, six and seven who said they were fed up with cold weather at home set off on a voyage to Africa but only got as far as the local train station, police said on Monday.
The boy and the older girl were planning to get married in Africa and brought the girl's five-year-old sister along as a witness. They left their home in the city of Hanover, which they shared with the boy's father and the girls' mother, early on New Year's Day as their parents slept.
"The children wanted to do something really special for the New Year," said police spokesman Holger Jureczko. "They had it all planned out. They had three suitcases, filled with food, swimming costumes, a lilo and even sunglasses."
He said they took a tram to the central station and were about to board a train to the airport when police stopped them.
"They said they wanted to go to Africa 'because it's so nice and warm there'," Jureczko said. The boy had once been to Italy and convinced the girl that Africa would be even warmer, he said.
The police told the trio that it would be difficult to get to Africa without money or tickets and instead gave them a tour of the police station before handing them over to their parents.
(Reporting by Anna Brooke; editing by Sophie Hardach)
Today's Random Quiz:

Your Risk Taking Level: High

Not only do you take risks when the chances of payoff are great... You take risks simply for their own sake. You are beyond a risk taker. You are a thrill seeker. You love the rush you get from doing something potentially dangerous.

Are You a Risk Taker?