I can assure you, it’s not 58, 20, 10, or 480 in Ohio. All of which I drive daily as part of my commute, so trust me on this.
It’s a long, boring, lonely two and a half hours on the road each day which I like to break into three sections:
- Country: 620 > 58 > 20
- Highway: 20 > 10 > 480
- City: exit 480 > 252 > 254
If only driving miles were like frequent flier miles…I’d be on my way to Bora Bora for free…
No matter, today I putzed around in the city until almost 630 so I could miss the bulk of rush hour and Rascal Flatt’s version of Life is a Highway popped into my head. Cue the Youtube app. I listened to that song on repeat three or four times and it got me to thinking about whether or not life was like any of the highways I drive. I certainly hope not. Just some of things that bother me about the highway part of my drive:
<start highway rant>
- People driving in between the express lane and the slow lane…because they can’t decide which has better prospects
- When people drive at or under the speed limit in the express lane. This forces me to take cruise (which I set at a steady 80mph) off.
- Breaking. The highway is no place for break lights. It makes me even more upset when I have to turn off cruise and then break.
- Coppers. They sit in pretty predictable spots but still…
- Construction. In short: they spent over a month and a half re-paving 20 east and west…it was beautiful when they finished last week. Four perfect pristine lanes on the freeway? Can a girl ask for more?! (yes, anything from Tiffany’s). No bumps in the road and it’s like you’re driving on a cloud, it’s so quiet (these are the things I care about)…but Monday I hit the highway and….what?! That’s right. The express lane is closed. They’re tearing it up and re-paving it! It must not have met specs or something and they have to re-do it….but it really puts a wrench in my plan when I have to follow a parade of cars and semis all going the construction speed limit of 55. God forbid they go 50 or under. I lose it.
- It’s common knowledge when the highway is down to one lane because of construction that the people trying to merge yield to the people already on the highway. Right? Please tell me I’m right on this. No one told the guy in front of me this though because he we are cruising along at 60 when he decides to come to a complete stop to let the guy trying to merge in front of him. A complete stop. But the guy trying to merge also came to a complete stop (as he should have because he didn’t have the right of way). So two things happened. I slammed on my breaks and had to swerve into the shoulder to avoid hitting Mr. Stops for Merging Traffic and then we (the merger, the guy who stopped for the merger, myself, and all the cars behind me) sat there for a good 10 or 15 seconds until the guy finally pulled in front. What. The. Heck.
- When traffic isn’t down to one lane, in fact, when it has three wide open west-bound lanes, it steams me when you’re trying to merge and people don’t move over to the other lane. Do you want me to hit you? Because I will.
- I find little else more hilarious than when semi’s pass cars. Or other semis. You have to be moving pretty slow for a semi to pass you. It’s funny until you’re in a semi sandwich with one in front and behind you plus one on the side. Then it’s just scary. Will they see me down here in my compact car? Or will they merely compact my car?
</end rant>
But sometimes. Just sometimes. Driving on the highway can be the best part of my day. When I used to work west coast hours until 830PM driving home at 9PM is like bliss. It’s annoying, people’s headlights in your mirrors, but it’s usually so dead at that time that it’s relaxing. Flying at 80 with the windows down and the music blaring through surround sound……THAT is what makes me feel alive. (Traveling and water also make me feel alive but I’ll take when I can get on a daily basis).
The other day ago driving home I stuck my arm out the window and took a shot behind me. Thank God I didn’t drop my iPhone. But it was totally worth this shot.
If life can be like the highway in this picture…then I’ll take it. Maybe it’s only when you look back that life really seemed like the highway you were on. I just hope it’s not perpetually under construction like 20…
