this time next month: still chicago. one month from next wednesday: bronxville.

i was curious,

so i asked mapquest

how far it is from here,

my bedroom,

in chicago,

to there,

my dorm room,

in bronxville.

(you know, approximately speaking.)

"808.55 miles, or about 13.21 hours," it said.

and then i asked mapquest

how far it is

from sarah lawrence college

to oberlin college.

which is in oberlin, oh.

"496.39 miles," it said,

"which should take you about

8 hours and 14 minutes.

oh, and, emma, both of these time estimates

are assuming

1. you are in a car and

2. you are the only vehicle on whatever road you are traveling."

"thank you, mapquest," i said.

"your handy maps with the large periwinkle lines

make the distances not seem so far at all.

why, both of them look like perfectly straight routes!"

and then my mind chimed in,

ever the pragmatist,

and reminded,

"emma, you hate driving.

and even if you didn't,

you don't have a car. hell,

you aren't even allowed to take a car to school.

you're taking a bicycle to school.

and also, do you honestly think you'll be

road-tripping to oberlin with upperclass(wo)men?"

hey, fuck off.

"no really, are you gonna cling that hard?

you're pathetic for even asking mapquest.

you don't care about oberlin.

you're not gonna let yourself care about oberlin.

you'll have the occasional cry

about that periwinkle line

and then write a fucked up little e-mail

or lipstick-kissed letter

and then you'll have to fall asleep

or go find someone to talk to.

'cause it's not happening."

and you know what?

my mind is right.

she wins!

oh but, fun little update, sort of, not really. i got my driver's license last thursday. since then i have exercised my new privileges exactly ZERO times.