Member-only story
I Lived in my Car During the Midwestern Winter
In January 2019, I decided there wasn’t much going on with my life, and I had to make a break for it. While I could have easily tapped into my social networks at home in New England for a job, staying in my comfort zone is a slow mental death. I was nearly broke, but luckily had a Subaru Impreza, which I owned outright.
My original goal was to drive from Vermont to LA, but I ran out of gas money in the Midwest during the middle of the 2019 Polar Vortex. Temperatures dropped as low as -20 (-28 C), and the roads iced over.
Rest Areas are Dangerous
I was sleeping at a rest area in Ohio, and had to use the restroom at night. Never exit your car at night in a rest area. Someone followed me into the bathroom and followed me back to my car. I quickly locked the doors and drove to the rest area on the opposite site of the highway. I saw this guy’s truck following me as I took the exit and got back on the highway in the opposite direction. I had to leave the second rest area and keep driving for a few hours.
Then, at a rest area in Wisconsin, two guys came out of nowhere and started following me closely. I saw it coming, and I turned 180 degrees back to my car and locked my vehicle. Knowing what I know now, I would avoid rest areas at all costs.
