I faked an African volunteer trip by designing a fake brochure and my parents still don't know

So I've mentioned this before but after I got discharged from the military I swear I was gonna lose it if I didn't travel again. Just completely unravel.

I came back to school and it was absolutely unbearable. Like I couldn't function. And no matter how I thought about it the only options were either destroy my family or figure something out.

So I made a fake book.

It was a brochure for "XX University Overseas Volunteer Program." And I knew if I half-assed it nobody would buy it so I actually learned InDesign and studied design formats and made it PROPERLY. Like I researched everything, sourced all the images, made it this thick 100+ page professional-looking booklet.

I wanted to go to Africa but figured they'd only let me go if I made it look legit, so I actually researched volunteer opportunities all over the world. Everywhere there was "need."

Then I took it to Chungmuro (the printing district in Seoul) and got it professionally printed and bound and everything.

Walked into school like "hey so the university is recruiting for this volunteer program and I need to pad my resume" and basically guilt-tripped my way in.

A month later I'm like "yo I got accepted to the Africa volunteer team!!"

My dad immediately goes "what kind of insane school sends volunteers for that long" which honestly saved me because then my parents were like okay whatever go with your friends we're not coming to the airport.

So I just. Left. For 6 months.

The crazy part? My parents STILL think I went to do volunteer work in Africa. To this day.

Every time there's a news story about Africa they literally ask me "honey did you go there too?" and I just. Keep lying.

Oh and I used this whole story (slightly edited obviously) in my first job interview and killed it so hard they gave me a standing ovation.

Worked there 4 months and then bounced.

Now I make my living doing what I learned making that fake brochure. Designing.

Man I miss traveling.