Z on Location

The Best Kind

Nora seems to be feeling better back at the RV, packing up her things since her car’s back in San Francisco and she won’t be riding any farther with them. “Hey, superstar,” she says to Z. “I heard about your interview.” Mom comments that news travels fast, stepping outside to call Dad and let him know they’ll hit the road first thing in the morning. Z can hardly believe how much her #summeradventure has turned into, and she realizes she’s learned just as much from Nora as from anyone else on the trip.

At the RV’s little table, Z finally admits it: she’s really glad she met Nora, even though she wasn’t thrilled when Nora first joined them. Nora laughs, saying she understood, since Z had wanted Mom all to herself. Z admits she’d hoped to be Mom’s only assistant, but learned just as much from Nora instead. Touched, Nora jokes that she’s almost glad about her food poisoning, since it pushed Z to step up, and holds out a fist. “Girl power!” Z bumps it back, and the two make do with snacks from the RV’s cupboards for dinner.

While she’s slurping noodles, Z’s phone buzzes with a text from Lauren, who’s already seen the interview and can’t wait to hear every detail. Z promises a full report over bubble tea at the Beanery the second she’s home. And then turns her phone off to enjoy her last night on the road with Mom and Nora.

The next morning, they drop Nora off at the airport. Mom thanks her, calling her a lifesaver, and reminds her they’ll see each other again for Advanced Concepts in August. “Thank you, Nora!” Z calls after her as she heads toward her gate.

Back on the road, Mom points out that she and Nora finally seem to have bonded, and Z agrees. It took getting past her own expectations to appreciate the trip, especially once Z’s Crew showed up at VidCon and Winter Costello interviewed her. She’s learned so much this summer about making films and about staying present, though that part is still hard. For her, sharing online feels like part of the experience, and not posting about something later almost makes it feel like it didn’t happen. Mom points out, half-joking, that she didn’t post and share everything back in “ye olden times,” and it was no less real. Z knows, but admits she’s still working on that balance. They agree this calls for one last vlog to close out the summer, since after this, they’re officially on vacation with no more filming. “Sounds like a plan,” Mom says, pulling back onto the road.

Z flips open her laptop for one final video, greeting Z’s Crew live from the road. She’d written a script earlier, but leaves it behind for something off-the-cuff, reflecting on everything she’s learned about filmmaking and being present instead of just documenting it. She thanks her followers, especially the ones who met her in person at VidCon, calling that the best part of the trip: connecting online, then bonding in person, too. She posts one last photo alongside the video and invites everyone watching to share their own summer adventures.

“That sounded like a great post,” Mom tells her, and Z settles back to watch the scenery roll by. Just then, a sign for the Wave Organ flashes past, pointing toward the San Francisco Marina just over three miles ahead. “What’s that?” Z asks. Mom says she’s always wanted to check it out. It’s an acoustic sculpture where water and waves interact with pipes to produce all sorts of sounds. That sounds cool to Z, and it’s only three miles away, so Mom swings into the right lane without a second thought. “Let our road trip vacation begin!” Z cheers.

Grinning, Z can’t quite imagine what the Wave Organ will sound like, but she already knows this is the best kind of summer adventure: no planning, maybe not even any filming, just soaking it all in.

Z. Crew… out!