Being from a small town, I'm not used to the hustle and bustle of a large city or the traffic that comes with it. As my adventure to the greater Chicago area began, I didn't think that the journey would be that bad, but boy was I mistaken. Shoutout to the people who do that on a daily basis because I have no idea how you do it. Here's the story of my first drive to the Windy City with my mom as told by gifs.

1. Everything is okay

Mom and I are A-OKAY because theres no construction and minimal semi traffic.

2. Traffic picks up a little bit and 5 lanes appear out of nowhere and Jill (the name of my GPS) isn't making any sense

Come on Jill. You're really stressing me out what lane am I supposed to be in?? Stay left but turn right? Go right stay right? Right. Got it.

3. Alright, where did this construction come from??

*Sees no construction only orange barrels closing down one lane*

4. Dying internally because there's a concrete wall on one side of me and a HUGE semi on the other

The praying commences and then some other choice words run through my head. They aren't really appropriate to put in this article.

5. The nervous sweating starts

"Mom do you see how many semis are on this road?"

6. Mom is currently holding on to what I refer to as the "panic handle" in our car

It's okay mom I think we might die too.

7. The speed limit sign says 55 mph which is translated to "Go at least 80, this is Illinois."

Bottom line; there was no speed limit. "With traffic" was the actual speed limit and I was feeling like a Fast and Furious character. Just kidding, my GMC Sierra was putting along attempting to keep up.

8. Tolls? You mean I have to PAY to almost DIE on these roads?!

Here, just take it all.

9. At this point it's bumper to bumper and I continue to get closer and closer to my windshield as my grip on the steering wheel tightens

Currently wondering if this drive is even worth it. Maybe I should pull over and call an Uber.

10. Stress eating

How many times can I get McDonald's in one day? That's right. AS MANY TIMES AS I WANT BECAUSE IM TRYING TO STAY ALIVE.

11. I FINALLY MADE IT!

WE DIDN'T DIE. Best day ever. I am only slightly emotionally scarred. Nothing a few drinks or a few weeks of sleep won't cure though.

Alright, this might be a little dramatic, but this drive was definitely a new experience for me. Shoutout to my mom for stress laughing with me, yelling the directions at me and hitting the imaginary break in the passenger seat. I love the Chicago area, but the traffic will be something I need to get used too! Maybe there's a YouTube video I can watch or something to become a better big city driver.