My brother Leonardo gave me my first car: a lovely 1980 Toyota Corolla. Yes, it had no radio, no air conditioning and often left me stranded on the road, but it allowed me to move from work to school and then home–it made me more efficient with my time. I very much still miss those days of adventure and novelty.

This is my 1980 Toyota Corolla. This little Corolla didn’t have air conditioning other than open windows, which amounted to almost nothing in the suffocating heat of Bakersfield. It didn’t have a stereo either, but I managed to fasten a transistor radio to the dashboard with some wires and duct tape.

After driving for a while, the engine overheated and on many occasions, it left me stranded on the road. But I learned its tricks. Just wait for it to cool down; then, I would start it again and continue the trip.