Chapters 20-28

WOW, this story definitely keeps you reading and wanting to know what is going to happen next! Jenna then with Mrs. Gladstone's reassurance and permission she encourages that Jenna needs to refocus her priorities and re-connect with her family. Throughout the chapters and continued journey's Jenna knew that having a career is great, however nothing will fill the void where family belongs, it is that void when continues to make Jenna feel lonely and incomplete and the need to express her feelings to her father without "running away" from her problem and family issues. She understands that her father needs her. She then meets her father to tell him how she truly feels, "I took your drinking on my shoulders, Dad! But I can't keep it there anymore. I've changed. I love you, but I can not be with you unless you change because seeing you so out of control, seeing you wasting your life is to hard for me. I can't pretend like you don't have a problem. You need help, Dad! You're an alcoholic. There is help everywhere for what you got. But you've got to want to get it." (pg. 199) After expressing her feelings Jenna felt, "lighter and older." She always felt like she would have a permanent broken part in her because of the problems with her dad. Now Jenna sees that, "...it isn't the problems along the way that make us or break us. It's how we learn to stand and face them that make the difference"(pg. 201).

This book was a great novel about a young adult who has ambition, faces the challenges of being "awkward", and coming from a dysfunctional family. It's the realization that one can not escape and run away from reality. Family is the most important relationship that should be cherish, without communication and understanding a relationship can not form and mend. In Jenna's case, I feel that she took me on a journey to realize that students come from various backgrounds, that the understand and support of providing additional resources and advice is essential to give a student hope. However, the greatest importance is to give students who read this novel the realization that when opportunities, challenges, and hardships arise to think carefully and re-evaluate decisions and actions, but most importantly that you yourself can make a world of difference in the lives of many. (Whether at work, school, or in your own family!)

chapter 6-20

So Jenna decides to go! She then begins her travels/journey with Mrs. Gladstone across country. She is primarily the driver when driving between the stores. Here throughout these chapters is where much of her thinking takes place. She doesn't just think about Gladstone's the store in general, she has a self realization about who she is and what she wants to become and accomplish. She encounters many individuals along the way where she builds up her character, business savy, and realizes her own personal and professional strength and weaknesses. She then faces the realities of her father being a alcoholic and her grandmother who is confronted with Alzheimer's, it becomes difficult for Jenna to continually be gone on "business" when two family members are struggling with diseases. She is torn between the opportunity to travel and work for Gladstone's or remain back home to help provide support for her family.

These chapters where very interesting, Jenna is exposed to a new world. The working world where she is working and dedicated to serve as an assistant to Mrs. Gladstone's, which is an awesome opportunity however is it worth it? I feel is it worth rushing your youth and young adulthood to grow up and become a working adult. For myself I see that in my own life, while I am a college student I hardly spend any downtime to just relax, hang out with my friends, and be a "typical" college student however I would rather work, work, work and make money. Sometimes, I feel that it is easy to lose sight on what is important the most. For me that "most important" that should be placed above work is ones own health and family.

The next chapters will be interesting, I am curious to see if Jenna is going to crumble and become to over whelmed with her position at Gladstone's and if she is able to re-connect with her father and family. We shall see what Jenna decides to do next..!