Driving There and Back Again

I went driving earlier today. I realize that this may not seem like a big deal, and considering the millions of Americans who drive on a daily basis, this certainly seems less impressive by comparison. But it still has some significance to me.

Typically, I only drive twice a week, going to and coming from church. It is a short trip and one I have done repeatedly. My route falls entirely within city limits, and for the most part, I am going straight or following the curvature of the road, all while going at relatively low speed. During my recent trips to the doctor, I found that my overall experience was lacking. I was unnerved at having to drive on the highway and was experiencing difficulty navigating the unfamiliar roads. I managed to arrive in a timely manner on both occasions (the second time especially, as I had left extra early in order to arrive at least fifteen minutes before my appointment), though I was still anxious - though that may have had to do with the need to arrive at a designated time and concerns about being late.

Today I visited a mall in a relatively nearby (approximately twenty miles away) town, in order to visit a specific shop there. I researched my route and wrote my own set of directions to follow while on the road. (Upon retrospect, my research wasn't as thorough as I originally thought - a building that I had intended to use as a landmark wasn't actually visible from the road I was on. A cautionary tale - we can always look a littler closer.) I had also written notes for myself on what to do when I actually got there.

I would say that my excursion was a success, and in more ways than one. I had to test myself in several different respects. Planning out a trip, researching the route I would take, and recording directions for myself. Actually following those directions, driving solo on the highway, and reaching an unfamiliar town. Navigating a mall, locating a specific store, making a purchase, and inquiring with an employee about a service that the store offers. (Getting me signed up was a minor challenge for both the employee and myself - I'm not used to social interactions, and I think he was getting nervous because he was having difficulty entering my contact information correctly. But we both made it through unscathed.)

I accomplished what I set out to do, and so much more.