Freedom of the Open Road

On the first day after I got my driver’s license, I drove to my art class, withstanding the torrents of rain that I had not yet practiced, and to work, where I again got another USDA cap. I also talked to my granddad, telling him the news of my driver’s test, of which he was really excited. The next day, with no more errands to run for my mom not that I had my license, pulled a lot of acorn trees and weeds, spread some mulch over my mom’s garden, put cushions on the outdoor seats, and moved some bricks to the pile in near the back fence for Mom. Then I had an idea to turn Tyler’s bottle caps into a sign saying “Jesus,” and I talked to Tyler, who loved the idea, before I watched Regular Show. After that I went into the Prairie Village shopping center where I got a new bottle cap for my collection from my drink at Better Cheddar. Afterwards I mowed the lawn, and then I got two more bottle caps from my drinks at Better Cheddar while I found out about some great places to shop in my Lonely Planet Turkey book, including a shop where unemployed women make handbags and jewelry from recycled material. In one week, we would go to our vacation home in Leadville, Colorado. 

The next day I had lunch with Cam, Nora, and Dad, and I made a heart-shaped pin from the straws there. I got back and I went to Starbuck’s. Then I made another coaster from receipts. The next day I pulled some more acorn tree for Mom. After that I went to the small Hen House and got a People Magazine special issue on Michael Jackson, who was said to have autism. Then I went to Starbuck’s before I got back and worked on my Lord of the Rings card boxes. The next day I went to Starbuck’s and talked to Tyler on my way back before driving down to work. When I got back, I talked to Tyler some more. The next day I cleaned out my minifridge where I found my last Smirnoff and took a shelf from the garage down to the basement as well as my stuff for school to put on it, and I took my school bookshelf downstairs and put all my plastic bottle caps there. Then I emptied the dishwasher before I went down to Better Cheddar and got a new bottle cap from my drink. I went to Hen House and got a National Geographic issue on famous women in history, and then I went to Starbuck’s. Later I drove down to Elsa’s Ethiopian Restaurant, which I was very comfortable going to, and ate there with Mom and Dave, who came there from their yoga class. On Wednesday I also got a Facebook message from Elizabeth saying she was volunteering at a youth camp for people on the spectrum and served on a panel of adults on the spectrum to help answer questions for the kids, and a good friend of hers asked if she knew anyone who would be good for serving on the panel and she told her about me and asked me if she could introduce me through e-mail, which I said she could. I did my usual drink at Better Cheddar, from which I got a new bottle cap, and going to Starbuck’s. I got back and later I went to Winstead’s with Granddad. Then we went to Barnes and Noble where I got the Lonely Planet guide to Istanbul and a songwriter’s journal. After that we went to the Pathless Land where I meditated and realized I find the same block with seeing old friends that I did with driving, which is trying to get my mind off my “special interests” long enough. When that was over we went to Roasterie in Brookside. The next day I worked on my snack wrapper collages before going to work and then getting back and packing up to get up the next morning to go to our vacation home in Leadville, Colorado.