( sam would probably like henry, if he ever met him. he would fit neatly into the eccentric hole that a handful of people he already knows occupies.

but at least what he'd said hadn't come across as strange. while sam himself had used his acceptance to stanford as an escape in its own right, he realizes that not everything is going to be that way for everyone else, and taking a break between one end and a new beginning is sometimes the breather you need to get your bearings. ) If you already had everything mapped out, it wouldn't be - ( what is he trying to say, here? ) - I don't think it would mean as much, if that makes any sense. You're not supposed to be a hundred percent sure of everything before it happens. It takes something out of it.

( he doesn't say 'fun', because that sounds too cliched, even for him. )