Driving to my destination

I’ve always kind of liked driving. If someone else wants to do it, I’m fine with riding. (Unless it’s one of my kids driving, and then I tend to be nervous.)

But, I’m willing and able to do long trips, city driving, night driving – you name it.

So, it wasn’t a big deal to drive to Tennessee. I even shaved off a little time by staying overnight in Milwaukee. Then, I left late enough to avoid Chicago traffic. Other than a slowdown coming out of Nashville about 6:45 p.m., it was pretty smooth.

Scariest part was just after dark. Traffic out of Nashville was still pretty heavy. I was talking with my sister on the phone when a little pickup truck zipped in front of me and a semi that was to my right. Of course, we both braked, the semi really pulling up. Suddenly, a tire came flinging back in front of the semi, me and the car to my left, so we all braked again. It hit the median and kept rolling with traffic. I think it was off the little truck. Maybe the driver was getting over quickly, realizing something was wrong.

That was the extent of my excitement.

I listened to a lot of offline Pandora music. I watched the scenery go by. I thought about a lot of stuff and nothing at all.

I cried. I smiled. I sang along, sometimes loudly. I rode silently. I planned my next stop for gas, food, water or iced tea. I tried to find the perfect A/C mix as the temperature rose outside and the sun shone in.

When I first was starting off, near Portage there was road construction. I made a mental note about it for when I was going home. Then I realized I wasn’t going home. At least not any time soon. I had that experience several more times during the trip.

Even now, sitting at my sister’s desk, typing this, I feel like I’m on vacation. I’ll be here for a week or so and then go “home” to work and life there. It’s weird to think that it’s all different. Nothing will ever be the same.

It was a drive not just to a new location but a new position in my life. That’s a first for me.