5. Share a memorable road trip story!

You know when you get your driver’s license, the whole world feels like it’s opened up to you? Well, that goes double for when you move out. At least, it did to me. The “trip” I have in mind occurred somewhere in, I believe, 1999. I was in my second or third year of college and had established a friend group.

That evening, my friends and I went to the movies to see Fight Club. When we got out, it was late but we thought, let’s just drive North! Looking back, I don’t think I had any idea where we were going or what for. We just knew we had all this freedom to just go. We stopped into a gas station and took a picture with the young guy behind the counter. He found us oddly charming. We then saw a gigantic fake cow in front of a feed store and took a picture under that! We blasted music and sang along and on the way back, stole a traffic cone from a corner. It was dark out and no other cars around so I guess we figured it didn’t matter.

We have a cone in the garage and I can’t remember if that’s the same one or not. I don’t remember moving with it from that apartment to the next. Probably is, if we’re being honest. This memory is pervasive because out of all the things I did during my college years, only a few memories are vivid. Sure, there’s the essence of what I was doing in each year and phase, but that one is so clear to me.