The summer after I graduated from college I had the unique opportunity to travel to France with my roommates and friends. A group of six of us left for France on the cheapest flight we could find the morning after graduation. We had plans to stay for the entire summer and just see what unfolded. None of us had jobs lined up or anything to rush back to, so we just took things in stride and determined to have the adventure of a lifetime. We learned quickly, however, that forgetting a French dictionary was not the best way to start a great summer.
We talked briefly about what we should bring on our journey to France, and I even remember hearing one of the guys mention that we would do well to remember a French dictionary since none of us spoke a word of French. I thought that advice was wise, but I never thought to bring a French dictionary myself. I was convinced that one of the more organized and responsible guys would surely remember to bring such a valuable tool for our survival.
I was wrong. Not one guy out of the six of us thought to bring a French dictionary with us on our journey. We realized this on the eight hour flight to Paris from our hometown of...