Fast forward to today. I find a sense of comfort and relaxation behind the wheel. Zooming along a highway through space and time has always been a Zen way for me to organize my mental filing cabinet.

Earlier this spring, I had plenty of time to re-organize my files during a quick trip to Denver. One of my best friends, Sam, invited me to tour the Denver Auto Show and see the kind of work he does as a brand ambassador. Sam travels to different events, such as auto shows and car races, to promote Lexus vehicles and be a handsome face for visitors to interact with. Most of the time he ends up answering questions about a car’s features, like, “Does it have heated and cooled seats?” or “Can the third-row fold flat?”

I love cars, and I wanted to see my friend, so I drove from Garden City to the mountains. The auto show filled the Colorado Convention Center with the latest vehicles available through dealers in the state. Most of the cars were open for demonstrations. A lot of families came to the show and brought their kids to give some vehicles the ultimate test – climbing over the seats, pushing all the buttons, testing the sound systems.

The open nature of the auto show meant it was somewhat interactive. Occasionally I’d find myself perusing a car with a couple of other people at the same time. One instance involved a brand-new Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck fitted with a special off-road package, including a lift kit and mud tires. Already inside the truck were three 20-something guys who were investigating the different functions of the interior buttons. The windows were down, so I walked up to them and asked, “What do we think, boys?”

The guy in the driver’s seat laughed and said, “Bro, this thing is sweet. We could go anywhere in it, if we could afford it.”

I looked at the window sticker. $65,000 was the asking price. “Yikes,” I said.

It’s about the same price as my new “bestseller” car. That is, the vehicle I’d buy when I reach a major milestone, such as having a book reach bestseller status. I found my buddy Sam in the Lexus corner and asked him to show me my “bestseller” vehicle.

It’s the brand-new Lexus GX550, in dark green, with bronzed wheels and off-road tires. It’s a big, beautiful, square SUV, and someday I’ll have one to tow the family camper. Maybe we’ll paint the camper to match? It’s fun to dream.

Stay tuned for more adventures from the road.

AJ is a freelance writer and former Mercury staff reporter.