A Q&A with Carley and Caren

Meet Caren: my minivan.

This is not a blog about Caren. It's a blog about my thoughts and experiences. However, since Caren has been such an integral part of my life over the past year, I'm dedicating this first post to her.

If a blog about my life sounds boring to you, consider that in the past six months, I've almost been trapped in a bison range, accidentally sat in on a grassroots anti-Trump party meeting, beat an old lady out of a GoodWill dress, pulled an all-nighter in the back of Caren at a state park to watch the sunrise, stayed in an old jail, almost been hit in the head by a pool ball falling into the pool, made a Lego me, hiked two miles to this yurt in the dark, and assumed a police car was my Lyft (it was dark) only to have my Lyft driver pull up to find me standing in front of a cop car with its flashing lights on.

I might fall back on telling these stories if I don't have new content in my life to blog about, but today I'm doing a Q&A with Caren starring questions from my friends.
Carley (this blog's author) and Caren.

It's Q&A Time!

***everyone's username is for their Instagram***

How old are you?

Carley: 18

Caren: 14 (she's a 2006 Dodge Caravan)

What's your Zodiac sign?

Carley: Aquarius

Caren: probably Taurus

@xaviermichaelyoung asks, "What do you think happens after we die?"

Carley: I believe in reincarnation, but I also believe in the void or some kind of ascension. I don't know if there are levels to reincarnation like the Buddhists believe, but I was one of those kids who talked about their past lives; until the age of five, I was convinced I was an older woman named Ruby who was murdered by her husband. My mom is also convinced that my childhood dog was her brother reincarnated.

Caren: We get a jumpstart from a friend and come back to life. 'Nough said.

@willbergmarryn asks, "How did you get your name?"

Carley: I have two older half-brothers named Carl and Casey. My mom took the C-A-R-L from Carl and the E-Y from Casey and made my name.

Caren: Carley's friend Gracelyn (@gracelyn._.anderson) named me after those Karen memes but her friend X was the one who suggested we spell it C-A-R-e-n.

@ryan_korby asks, "What's your favorite food?"

Carley: Pasta and desserts

Caren: Tacos.

@clarissaadavidson asks, "What's your favorite place you've been?"

Carley: Anywhere from the time the sun sets until about 8 am because everything looks better in the golden hour of dusk or the black-blue of night. So a midnight Walmart run with my friends is just as beautiful to me as a sunrise over a canyon in Yellowstone.

Caren: Probably the jail Airbnb in Wykoff, MN. The cornfields in that area are just lovely and the kids had a lot of fun there.

@dream_catcher_peace asks, "Do you ever get stressed?"

Carley: All the time. But I manage it with hot tea, meditation, and yoga.

Caren: Mountains. My engine locks up just thinking about them.

@kassidyrosemary asks, "What's your favorite book?" 

Carley: That's really difficult. A book I read this year that stands out to me is The Secret Place by Tana French. It's a coming of age novel that's also a murder mystery, with a hint of witchcraft. I was most impressed with the way the book navigates from the perspective of teenagers to that of a young adult without sounding forced.

Caren: Minimalistic Living: How to Live in a Van and Get Off The Grid by Mary Solomon

@kassidyrosemary also asks, "What's your favorite type of chips?"

Carley: Oven-baked chips: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, even kale, you bake it in the oven and it becomes delicious.

Caren: Fish and chips (fries). Does that count?
My least favorite? Hot Cheetos. That dust never comes out of my carpet.

@dream_catcher_peace asks, "What makes you feel happy?"

Carley: Spending time with my friends, family, and Caren.

Caren: Sleeping.

@willbergmarryn asks, "Do you like to drive?"

Carley: I love it, but I also like when someone else drives and I get to fully soak up the scenery.

Caren: Not really, because it feels more like my job. I do enjoy having a destination because I feel accomplished when we arrive. 

@dream_catcher_peace asks, "Is there anything you wish you had?"

Carley: Not really. I try to keep my expectations low so I'm pleasantly surprised when things go well.

Caren: A new stereo with an aux and a center consul. But I also don't want to change the way I look because I wouldn't feel like myself anymore.

Questions Just for Caren

@_eve_2 asks, "Do you feel like a more superior van because of your extensive miles?"

Caren: I wouldn't say I feel superior, but I've definitely seen a lot of places that younger vehicles with only a few thousand miles couldn't even imagine. I'm almost at 208,000 miles, and I'm good for another hundred thousand, but it is sad thinking that two-thirds of my life has already driven by.

@sewer_pancake asks, "How long do you think you can continue putting up with road trips with teenagers?" 

Caren: I'm a teenager myself so I feed off their chaotic energy. We definitely have to do something about the mess though...

@claudia_vincent asks, "What is the weirdest thing that has been spilled on the carpet?"

Caren: Let's just say there's been a lot of tea spilled inside of me.

okay kids, that's it for today! thanks for tuning in and make sure to go follow my friends' Instas because they're all pretty cool people.

xxx, 

carley