![]() Do I want to stop for food at Wendy’s, or keep going until I reach a Subway that’s actually open? Check. Do I know how many miles there are until I reach St. It boils down to simple questions and decisions. On the open road, I don’t have this impulsive desire to check off things on my to-do list. I’m not keen on city driving, but there’s something about the open expanse of the freeways and interstates that helps quiet my often chaotic stream of consciousness. I think I’ve gone back and forth from Minneapolis to Atlanta almost eight times now, but honestly, I lost track after five. In 2019, when I began attending SCAD, I made my first solo road trip. My parents helped me trek across the first time, and my dad would help me with the drive every summer after that. My first major experiences with cross-country road trips came after I made the decision to move from Minnesota to attend the University of Oregon-a 24-to-28 hour road trip which encompassed almost 1,900 miles. When driving a car, my anxiety would spike, but I still recognized it as a valuable-enough life skill that I put in a lot of effort practicing so that I could finally pass my test. My father would graciously take me to work my shifts at the bagel shop in town when I needed to, and while he was behind the wheel, I would fantasize about a life in New York City, where subways and buses would get me wherever I needed to go. For most of my teen years, I refused to learn, instead opting to hitch rides with friends or walk as much as I could. Needless to say, driving did not come naturally to me. The third time, the instructor had mispronounced my name horrifically in a crowded room, and I’m convinced that she felt so embarrassed by her mistake that she awarded me my license. The second time, the bad-tempered instructor had snapped that I had the right-of-way (I did not) at a four-way intersection. The first time, I failed miserably, after not knowing which direction to turn my wheels when parked beside the curb. ![]() It took me three tries to get my driver’s license.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |