Everyone has thought about running away from home at some point, but very few kids are daring and serious enough to actually attempt it. That is, except Josh. He hated his household, always crowded and loud. No one ever had time to talk to him or spend time with him. Josh was sure he could manage by himself; he basically already did anyway. He knew it would be hard, but he was up for a challenge. It had to be better than what his parents provided.
Josh scanned his room for the essentials he thought he would need to bring. He grabbed his backpack and filled it with three pairs of clothes, a flashlight with plenty of batteries, and a pocket knife his grandad had given to him for his twelfth birthday. His next stop was the kitchen, where he grabbed his favorite cereal, the granola bars his dad always brought home, and six bottles of water. He looked down to see his buddy Oscar sitting at his feet. Oscar was the best dog in the world in Josh's eyes, but it would be too much of a burden for him to take Oscar with him. He knew he would miss his buddy, so he tried not to think about it too much.
Josh's mother interrupted his thoughts when she entered the kitchen. "I was just about to cook supper," she said "Spaghetti too, your favorite."  It really was Josh's favorite. He considered staying one more night just to get his spaghetti. Next his little brother came in to show him what he had drawn in school that day. It was pretty bad, but he complimented him anyway. As usual, his little brother was excited to have been praised by the one he idolized. Josh began to think of his little bro and how he'd miss his exciting personality. He thought of how he copied everything Josh did, and what kind of example he'd be setting for his little brother. He shook the ideas and continued his preparations.
With the last few goods packed into his bookbag, he double checked his mental list and decided he was as ready for his adventure as he would ever be. He looked around at the walls that he might never see again. He saw family photos from years' worth of memories from past adventures. He began to wonder whether his life was really as dreadful as he had persuaded himself it was. What did he do to deserve a bed and food to eat? What did he do to deserve guardians to take care of him?
He began to notice all of what he had been taking for granted. He noticed how much he cared about and needed his family. Just because he argued occasionally, or didn’t get his way, didn’t mean he needed to run away from home. Instead, he decided to pay more attention to the little things that he took for granted, such as their large backyard, his new bicycle, and the supper his mother was cooking after getting home from a hard day of work.