Why I Miss Driving

I didn't exactly expect there would be a time in my life where I would come to miss driving. Before I left for college, and even when I come home, I fall back into the tedious cycle of planning my excursions down to a science. My driving equation incorporates arriving either fashionably late or impressively early, depending on the event, allotted carpool time, time set aside for unimaginable occurrences, or I completely disregard my methods when I'm running very late. Planning to drive all over the city was hard work, and very stressful when my methods didn't seem to always work out. Plus, living in a suburb of the city made getting anywhere at least a guaranteed 10 minutes further than anyone else. Then there's gas and safe driving and all that jazz to worry about. But oddly enough, whenever I'm at school walking to class or lunch, I miss driving.

Why, you ask, is driving one of the activities I miss most from home? Driving was one of my only times of solitude. I got to be by myself, listening to great music or enjoying the silence, maybe with the windows down feeling the sun on my face. Driving was a huge time for me to decompress. Whether I was going to school and mentally preparing myself for the day, or driving home after a long day, I could always get my mind right when driving the car. Especially on the way to sports practices or games, driving always helped me get my head where it needed to be, and on my highest mental level.

Driving was a guaranteed reflection and relaxation time. No matter how busy my schedule was for the day: go to school, go home, do homework, go back to school for practice, go home, do more homework - I always had the guaranteed driving time to calm me down or pump me up.

I did some of my best reflection and thinking in the car. Maybe something happened at school where I wasn't in the best place with a good friend. I would always get to think about and resolve any sorts of problems I had while driving. Driving was one of my favorite times for self-reflection too. Some people have journals, others go to therapy, or use their families and best friends to vent about what's bothering them. I used my solitude in the car as my therapy.

Bottom line is, I wouldn't complain if places on my college campus were only driving distance away. I could really get used to returning to my time for thought and decompression in the car that a 10 minute walk to class doesn't achieve. But, not having a car on campus makes me that more appreciative for my time in the car when I'm back in the city.