Paramount PicturesFerris Bueller wasn’t only a cult classic movie. It also inspired generations of creative truanting.
Two students – Dylan Cartwell, 17 and James Hendricken, 18 – are coming to the end of their formal education and decided to spontaneously ditch school. Nothing unusual there.
But rather than stay in bed watching Netflix all day, like most of us would, they took a leaf out of Bueller’s book and headed for a self-taught course courtesy of the University of Life.
Dylan CantwellPosting their trip to their mates on Snapchat, they decided to spend their day off seeing how far they could travel.
Dylan and James decided to educate themselves for the day, going on a spontaneous lesson in everything French, so they jumped on a plane to Paris.
Dylan told UNILAD all about what they got up to on their ‘goofy trip’.
Dylan CantwellDylan told UNILAD:
We have our leaving cert exams coming up in a month, so we decided to go – as it’s our last time to make a funny story while in school.
Also, we told no one that we were going, so all our friends in school found out through our Snapchat stories, so it made a great story when we got home.
Dylan CantwellJames and Dylan rose early and met at 4.30am on Thursday morning to get a taxi to the airport. From there, they flew to Beauvais Airport at 6.25am and then got a bus into Paris.
Dylan recounted the boys’ trip for UNILAD, saying:
When we arrived in Paris we first went to our apartment we cheaply booked with air BnB, we were about to go around to get baguettes for lunch.
After our lunch we strolled through the streets of Paris and eventually made it to the Champs Elysee where we went on to the Arc de Triomph for free with our EU passports. We staggered up the bendy stairs to the top.
From the top we got a fantastic view of all of Paris, so we had an understanding of where to go.
Dylan CantwellContinuing on, like veteran tourists, Dylan explained:
After that we hopped on the metro, unsure of how the metro system worked but eventually made it to the Louvre. It was the most confusing place to find – in behind some building between a few other buildings and it was this massive glass building that wouldn’t be seen in the streets of Dublin.
When we went in, yet again, for free with our EU passports. We scrambled through the halls of the Louvre showing no interest to the big sculptures surrounding the route to our only interest in the museum; the Mona Lisa.
When we eventually made it the room was disgustingly stuffy and overcrowded full of other tourists, and when we squeezed through crowds to get a proper view, we were so disappointed how over hyped the painting is.
It looked like a small picture, hidden behind a glass window on a massive white wall.
Dylan CantwellAfter the Mona Lisa, the fun continued:
We legged it out as soon as possible to leap on the metro again, still unsure how the different lines worked and went off to the Eiffel Tower.
When we got outside it we were in stitches laughing how pathetic the street acts were when we saw multiple scammers trying to steal money off people with ridiculous games.
When we got in – being your typical teenagers- we went for the cheap option of paying a fiver and have to hike up the tower, rather than pay a tenner to get a lift up.
When we reached the top the view of all of Paris was worth the stress and energy spent to get up. It was a savage view that you wouldn’t get back home so was worth the money.
Dylan CantwellAfter leaving just an endearing note, Dylan explained his parents were relieved – and undoubtedly impressed with their son’s ingenuity.
Dylan said:
When we returned home the following day, no money left in our pockets, our parents were just relieved and delighted to see us home safe.
Dylan CantwellThe young student added: “They were happy to hear about the laughs we had and were proud of the trip we endured.”
Ferris Bueller would be proud too.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.