It was a cool summer morning. My father had a smile slapped across his face as he sang to the radio and drove down back roads. I was in the passenger seat, clinging onto my coffee for dear life and wondering why I was awake at such an ungodly hour. My father pulled off the road and started to drive down a dirt path that hugged the tree line of an open field. Fog swallowed the grass and an old rotting barn appeared in the distance. My father was still happy as a clam, but I was questioning whether we had just entered a scene from the next blockbuster horror movie. We pulled up to the barn and my father threw the truck in park. After prying the rotted wooden doors open and praying the barn wasn't going to collapse, I caught a glimpse of a diamond in the rough. A 1988 Ford Bronco XLT in pristine condition was tucked in the back corner. It was love at first sight. From then on, his name was Benji and I had no idea this truck would change my life forever.

1. Utilize freedom wisely.

Four wheels can take you anywhere you want to go. Just because you can go to McDonald's late at night doesn't mean you should and you could feel sick afterwards, so choose your destination carefully.

2. Watch what you say, how you say it and where you say it.

The reason why almost every country singer has a song about driving around with the windows down is because it's awesome and highly addictive; however, if you're going to yell at people while sitting in traffic you should roll your windows up so they can't hear you.

3. Be confident.

People are going to make negative comments about your decisions, and that's perfectly fine, but you shouldn't worry about them. If you embrace yourself and stand by your actions, the right people will show their face. Yeah, a Bronco is seen as a crappy truck and plenty of people told me that, but it was the few that appreciated it for what is was that made it special.

4. How to care and never give up hope.

Parts will break and you will have to fix them. Something else will break and you're gonna have to fix that too. You might even reach a point where you become so frustrated because everything keeps breaking, but you wouldn't keep fixing it if you didn't care.

5. Caring too much is human nature.

Caring too much is human nature, but probably a little insane when you scratch your truck and lock it in the garage for the next three weeks because you're paranoid. Also, parking in the back of the parking lot because you don't want your truck to get hit is perfectly normal. It's also great exercise.

6. Sometimes "old school" is the best option.

So many things are run by technology now and it was nice to be able to get in my truck and not face another screen or anything digital. Not having technology with me all the time made me appreciate life more and realize that "old school" is sometimes the best school. You don't have to be plugged in all the time. Unplug from technology and look up for five minutes, you might experience something you would have missed while on your phone.

7. It's OK to be young and dumb.

As a teenager, you don't know everything. Even as an adult, you still won't know everything. Use that to your advantage. Learn from mistakes rather than textbooks. Scream the lyrics to that song as loud as you can while sitting in traffic, who cares if people stare. Go on adventures with your friends, if you get lost it just adds to the story you'll tell your kids. Right now, there's only a matter of time before we get thrown into the real world. Make the best out of the time you have with friends and family. If you want to do something, do it. If you screw up, that's OK. As teenagers, we're supposed to be young and stupid.

A solemn quietness has filled my soul ever since Benji left. As I write this, I can see the empty space in my driveway where that Bronco once stood. A Ford Crown Victoria is parked next to that empty space, ready to take over where Benji left off. It's been two weeks since I saw him for the last time and I regret every moment of letting him go. You don't know what you have until it's gone.