So I have this idea, this crazy idea. I want to rent a car, or maybe I'll buy one. Something sleek and dark. I'll burn 5 or 6 CDs of my favorite music – Bob Seger, Zeppelin, Credence – and take them with me. I'll pack a duffel of some clothes, toiletries, maybe an extra pair of shoes, my sketchbook, and then I'm off. If I have a friend who wants to go with me, they can come along.

I'll go where the road takes me. I don't want the big cities; I don't want the Manhattan skyline, I don't want Chicago or Boston or LA. I want the boonies. I'll go to see every mystery spot and giant chili statue and roadside attraction there is between California and New York. There are going to be long hours with just music and the road, and I'll roll the window down and feel the air rush against my face. Backtrack – maybe I'll need more than 6 CDs.

I'll deck out the backseat of the car with blankets and a fluffy pillow, and that'll be where I sleep most nights. There'll also be motels and bed & breakfasts, but I won't stay at them very long; I'll get up in the mornings and shower and grab some food if they offer it. Maybe I'll stay a little longer, if I'm in the mood, sit and people-watch and read the local paper. I want to go to the little towns, population three hundred and five, and wander around before I take off.

When I need to wash my clothes, I'll go to a 24-hour laundromat, and then I'm set for the week. I'll eat at roadside diners, whatever I feel like, big English breakfasts and pasta and burgers and pizza, and then a couple sandwiches for later. I'll buy greasy snacks and soda at gas stations while I'm filling up my tank. If there's someone with me, we'll take turns driving.

It won't be constantly moving from place to place, either. I'll go to watch movies at dingy little theaters, I might drop by the library and check out a book that I forget to return. I'll keep a mirror in my car so I can do my makeup, and a few face masks too, because all that driving deserves a rest. Once a month I could do a spa day, get a mani-pedi deal at a little Vietnamese salon (I think I'd like red, but who knows?).

I'll drive through the Nevada desert and sit on the hood of my car at night. I'll watch the stars and the sunrise. I'll talk with my friend about space and aliens and conspiracy theories, forests and beaches and the best snack foods. When daytime hits I'll have to strip down to nearly nothing and blast the AC in my car, and make a mental note to buy sunscreen at the next 7/11.

Yeah. I think that's what I want to do.