Conglomerate

Conglomerate: (v) 2. to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass

I read a very interesting article recently about the backlash against the consumer-culture tendency to have crap conglomerate in our lives. The article was called "But Will It Make You Happy?" The "solution" is to spend money on leisure activities rather than physical things. I love this idea. I admit, I'm going to Office Max to get school supplies (one of the few great things about going back to school, which I have loved since Crayons were on my list), but I have to have notebooks and...well, yes, crap. But this isn't really an attempt to entertain myself. Cross my heart.

I love going to the movies with my friends, going out to dinner, etc. We rarely go shopping as entertainment. We stay in and have dinner parties. Experiences. My material thing weakness is books. I love buying book, having them, reading them, getting them from the library, and seeing them on my bookcases (note the plural - all full). When I move, which I plan to do after graduation, even if it's to a different part of this town, I am going to try to seriously limit what I take with me. Sometimes I fantasize about getting in my car with nothing but what will fit in the trunk and backseat and just...going.

I think for Christmas / my birthday, I want to ask for money to pay for a great vacation, one fabulous spring break for my last spring break ever. I'll have less stuff to move, and I would love to go somewhere warm, some all-inclusive resort where I can sit by a pool or the ocean and read a book and nice people will bring me drinks with little umbrellas in them. I think that experience would make me happy :)