Eleanor's Travels

Ready to see the world? Twenty-one countries, Seven continents. A trip of a lifetime.Eleanor's Travels is the second book in the Love and Friendship trilogy. Eleanor James embarks on a year long journey hoping to be inspired for her next big movie role. She has set her heart to see twenty-one countries at the tender age of twenty-one. What will she find? Adventure? Awe-inspiring places? Amazing people? Love? Will she also find love?In the first book, My Dear Ellie, the readers discovered that Eleanor (Ellie) had been keeping secrets from her best friend Cassandra (Cassie), her parents, and perhaps even herself. The second book explores what those secrets were. We must reveal the past, before the readers discover what lies ahead in Ellie's fate.

Chapter One: Big Plans

Passport? Check.

Tickets? Check.

Suitcases, packed and ready? Check.

Extra long goodbye hug with Best friend? Check, Check, and Check.

"Ellie," I say to myself, "You are ready to explore the seven continents. Ready or not world, here I come "

I am Eleanor Grace. World explorer extraordinaire, and Oscar-winning actress.

Ok, ok, so I hadn't won an Oscar yet... but I planned to, and you can do anything if you believed, right? As for world-explorer, I would be after this trip. This trip around the world was exactly the inspiration I needed as a rising superstar. Time to do some soul searching, greet new adventures, and even learn a few things.

This trip around the world was my parents' gift to me, on my twenty-first birthday.

Seems a little extravagant for a twenty-one-year-old? Don't blame them. I was the one who asked for it.

My parents were top-notch successful lawyers. In a lawyer's world, time was money, and every minute was worth many $$$, so they had very little time to spare. They made up for their absences with lavish gifts, and unfortunately, lavish excuses. Luckily for me, the bigger their absence, the greater my price tag went up.

Unfair, you might say? Well, to be fair, I was their only daughter. I might add... I also inherited the gift of strong negotiation and intense bargaining from them.

How did I convince them for this trip? You should know almost everything in life is negotiable. The secret is how to ask for it. My strategy went by understanding what the other side wanted. Next, I figured out how to get what I wanted, and made it seem like the other side was winning. Lastly, I was ready to walk away, and at this vulnerable point, the other side would most likely strike a bargain. To be extra successful: Rinse and repeat until you win your battle.

I knew my parents didn't mind, in fact, they encouraged my take charge attitude. It made them proud when I stood my ground, and it even brought a tear of joy to their eyes. Normally, they had unreadable expressions.

I would grow up to be like them, maybe even a magnified version of them, if it weren't for Cassie.

Cassie was the one who humbled me, stopped me from being spoiled and entitled, and brought me back down to earth. She was my balance.

Cassandra Grace, or Cassie as I called her with love, was my best friend in the entire world. My opposite in every sense of the word, and I wouldn't have changed her for anything, or anyone. It was especially hard saying goodbye to her, seeing that I wouldn't see her in person for about a year as I went on my big trip.

We were also roommates, and had been living in the same apartment for a few years, ever since we dropped out of high school together. Yes, you heard right. We both dropped out of high school together.

My negotiation skills came to a breaking point, but somehow, I convinced both our parents.

Cassie and I were successful. Now, we could take charge of our lives as independent adults...