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Destination to "Independence"

How a road trip gave me the freedom I needed

By A.A.C.Published 3 years ago 3 min read
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Destination to "Independence"
Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash

I was a sheltered kid. So much so that: I was not allowed to have boy’s phone numbers, I was not allowed to drive my car to school until I was 17 and I could not take my car to college until my second year. While I know my parents loved me, they also were helicopter parents. Luckily, I began to explore and find more of a chance of freedom when I went to college. I met friends who I would go into the city with and I was able to be myself. Yet, it was not enough.

2016

Me and my roommates became close within a year of living together. We were practically the same person. We stayed in touch after we all left the dorm. We still hung out and we eventually decided that we should do something that I was excited yet scared of doing; a road trip. We planned it out to the final details: I would drive, they would pay for part of the hotel and one friend would pay for the tickets to Universal Studios. One roommate did not have their license while the other was okay with driving but she did not want to use her car due to mileage. It was then that I decided to drive. We drove from my house to Los Angeles, which was about 5 hours. We went to Universal Studios.

If I were to be honest, I drove very slow due to the fact that I was not used to driving in a big city. However, I did have a little practice since I had been driving to San Francisco. I became used to driving in traffic and intersections that were a little tricky to maneuver. Never had I ever driven for so long and never had I gone on vacation with people that were not family. It was new. It was different. It was liberating.

Driving through part of the state while talking with friends and creating memories was only things that I dreamt of. Never had I ever would have thought that I can have that kind of bond with people. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could be the one who drove during a road trip. I needed to do this road trip for myself. I needed this because my parents would not even let me check the mail without going with me. I needed this so that my paranoia would not get the best of me for the rest of my adult life.

2017

My friends and I had so much fun on our trip, we decided to do yearly trips. This time I was more confident with my driving so we decided to go near Los Angeles again. This time, we would go to DisneyLand. Ironically, I was seeking my independence as an adult while going to an amusement park meant for children and families. Taking a drive with my friends and for a brief moment, having freedom from my family was exhilarating. I love my family, but it always felt that I was babied too much or that my choices were not good or safe when allI wanted was to spread my wings. Of course I had my mother tell me going to Los Angeles is stressful and wanting to deter me from doing things, but the thing is is that I have to do these things on my own. We ended up having a good time like last year and the drive was not as difficult as last time.

2018

I took another leep and did something exciting and new. We decided to fly to Las Vegas! Another trip that opened me up to going places without my parents. While it was not the first time going on a plane without my parents, it showed that I will be okay no matter the company.

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About the Creator

A.A.C.

I want to see if I have a career in writing and put it to the test

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