Driving through the city, we had the map. I remembered streets, but not which ones were one way. I also did not remember how the woods crowded the streets even in the big city.

It was almost 3 am, but it wasn’t dark. Dusky, but not pitch black. If it it had been black we would have seen stars. No stars.

I found UAA Drive, and we found the college. Chris said “That’s it?”

“Yeah, but keep driving. It’s really long.” Through the trees, I could see glimpses of the various buildings I walked past and studied it. We found the end. “See Chris, that’s how far I would have to walk to get from class to class. And in the cold!”

“Couldn’t you drive?”

“Once you parked, you would have trouble finding another space.”

The unpainted gray concrete buildings were kinda hard to see through the trees.

The thing about all these trees…No one planted them. They grew there all on their own. Landscaping was not part of their concept.

I didn’t have my camera, so I couldn’t take a picture of the big square sculpture like I wanted. I remembered it, in the parking lot of the first building. I remembered it as the first sight I saw when I would go to the classes at this university that meant so much to me. The HUGE student body that I could meet, and the thick book of classes I could choose from. That cockeyed square meant I could run out of the car and go learn something, go start my life.

“That’s my school.” I told Chris.

“It’s not very pretty.”