Instructor said he definitely wants me to file a flight plan, get a full briefing etc. And I'm good with that - its all good practice and helps me become familiar with all the moving pieces of the FAA. We filed VFR flight plans for both our dual XCs as well, not a big deal and again good practice.
You can now open and close them via email.
https://www.1800wxbrief.com/Website/#!/easyactivate-and-easyclose