Lizzy- Freedom House- Day One

We planned on leaving for Detroit about 8AM, so we could arrive early that evening. We divided the
drive into three four-hour chunks for each driver, the second of which I was assigned. The girls seemed
nice, but mostly I was relieved I was sitting in the back corner so I could lean against the window and
sleep. Riley, a junior from San Antonio, surprised me with her willingness to take the middle-seat in the
back row, seemingly unperturbed.

The first four hours of the trip was filled with napping, small talk, and White Castle burgers. It was then
my turn to drive, and Riley volunteered as navigator, which simultaneously got her shotgun and made
her my personal DJ. The first two hours flew by; Riley was humbly well-versed in music, and her nature generous, kind, and honest.

Ninety minutes into my shift the weather picked up dramatically. I slowed down and recognized I’d have to drive longer to compensate for it, but I was enjoying the company of our group and wasn’t bothered by the idea. Unfortunately the roads became slick, visibility was extremely poor, and I was so focused on the road to really pay attention to any conversation or Riley’s music selection past that point.

Shannon had the shift after me, and after four or five hours of driving was thrilled to pass the buck. By
the time she began her shift it was dark and traffic was heavier, but the road conditions didn’t seem to
stress her. She immediately established herself as the outgoing story-teller of the group, and navigated
traffic while cracking jokes with the ease of a gracious host navigating guests.

By the end of the drive I was impressed with all the other girls too: Haven was a secure freshman with
a quirky, intelligent sense of humor; Amber was a fellow senior ready to laugh and happy to challenge
people; Nicole was sweet and petite, but had an impressive strength of standing up for herself; and
Miranda was as generous and real as people can get.