Riding along in my automobile...

When I was in high school my stepmother bought a used convertible. It was a late-80s-issued VW Cabriolet with a maroon exterior and tan interior, and considering that it was now into the late '90s, the car looked a little worn, but it didn't matter to me. Being that I was a licensed driver without a car of my own, I was allowed to drive the Cabriolet often.

My favorite time to drive the car was in the summer, with the top down. I'd toss my mixed CDs into the passenger's seat, pop my cassette adapter into the car and plug it into my Discman, then ride off into town.

I especially loved getting on the highway. Though the Cabriolet couldn't go much faster than 60 miles per hour, I'd hop on Route 2 and happily drive 55 mph with the top down and the stereo cranked. I sang along to rock and roll and pop songs at the top of my lungs, with the wind whipping my hair around and the sun beating down on my skin. I loved the feel of the air blowing around the car and the sticky-hot burn of the sun turning my arms pink. I wore sunglasses and often swooped my left hand in the wind as I drove.

Since then I've maintained that there's little better than driving around in a convertible with the sun shining and the music blasting. Even a rusty convertible is infinitely cooler than the sensible sedan I drive now! And while I haven't driven a convertible in many years, today's warm weather inspired me to roll down the windows of my boring ol' Chevy and crank up the tunes. I even dug out an old CD full of random songs that I had burned while in high school. Driving home in the bright sun listening to Dave Matthews and Coldplay, the Counting Crows and Journey put me in a good mood and I smiled all the way home, thinking of summer days in my Cabriolet.