By Lauren Waer

I’m driving behind a woman on the freeway with the license plate MAUINXT screwed on her red convertible. She has the top down and her hair is whipping nervously behind her, sometimes brushing over the top and sides of her head, attaching to her lipstick.
MAUINXT. Maui next.
Where has she been before?
I picture her office in her permanent address, somewhere cold like Michigan, walls filled with license plates. The one that started it all was the one driving her to New York City, the place that everyone craves visiting at least once. The bright lights, the angry people, the smelly subway: all incredibly attractive things to her the first time that she encountered them that quickly turned sour. And so she was left to move on. Then it was Sweden, and then Alaska, and then maybe Kansas to pretend like she was walking the yellow brick road.
My thoughts are entranced with her and her destinations as I watch her convertible veer off on the exit leading to San Diego, seemingly moving in slow motion.
Not Maui, maybe.
Not yet.

I love using things that I see as little stories and this is one of them! To me this piece is the definition of not caring and exploring life and self. It’s what I aspire to be when I’m older!