IMO, that line only works because: who would be jealous of Jon Lovitz? (really his personna-I’m sure he’s quite charming otherwise)

They said it was beautiful though.

I hope you have a wonderful summer!

No, I grew up dirt poor, and sure, I might have envied my wealthier cousins in Grosse Pointe. But if there’s one thing my father taught me early, it was that you can never be too poor to appreciate and enjoy culture. Sure, I might not have been able to travel when I was younger, but there were libraries, and bookstores, and good cafes. So while I might not have been able to take trips to, say, Santorini, I never resented those who could afford to do so. Anyone who resents anyone else’s finance is clearly not finding enough to do in their own lives, I think.

Forget that crap, Jill. You enjoy your trip. I look forward to seeing more photos.

Yes, but then most people don’t have the kind of money it takes to go on a European vacation much less doing so while paying for law school. I certainly don’t. Really good for you, but opening with “Jealous?” is rubbing it in our faces.

First, I don’t have the kind of money it takes to go on a European vacation. I’m not vacationing, I’m working at a public interest group here, and I’m not getting paid for it. I took out a loan to cover my expenses for the summer, and am basically living on a shoestring — this weekend was my single extravagance for the summer, and now I’m literally living off of crackers, nutella and yogurt. I made the choice to try and travel a little bit rather and live out in the boonies off of very little than to live more comfortably and stay put. I also came to Greece in part because it’s cheaper to live here than in New York, even when you factor in the plane ticket. If I was back in the city, I’d barely have enough money to cover my rent. So save it.

And when I wrote the “Jealous?” headline, I was actually imagining the voice of Jon Lovitz, not trying to be snotty.

I had no internships at publishing houses or in contemporary art museums–my summers were spent delivering pizzas or mopping floors when I could find a job at all.

I could barely pay the rent even with the minimal stipend I got, and until that came in, I was fighting homeless guys for bottles to return (10 cents in Michigan!) and doing my laundry in the bathtub.

Gosh, I feel better already. If anyone here thinks I’m an asshole, you should meet my brother. He passed on college and created a multi-million dollar company out of our garage. Now Bill Gates, Jr. walks around with his hands in the air, exclaiming, “I’m God. I’m God, I’m God.” Well fuck him. I hope he ends up a paraplegic. I’d disconnect his battery on his wheelchair and push his ass out in rush-hour traffic. “Come on, Tiger,” I’d yell from the sidewalk. “Let’s see you work a miracle now!”

Jill, glad to see you’re enjoying yourself. I’ve never been off of the North American continent myself, but that will come in due time.

As a graduate student who thinks a lot about debt, and the fact that I will probably die with it because my field is not a high-paying one, I’ll leave any comments about that for another thread. :)

So, I still would not assume that someone who is in law school and is abroad is rolling in dough. Quite the contrary, they might be rolling (sinking?) in debt.