A lot of good can come from a long drive in a Toyota

I haven't been myself the last couple of weeks. I don't know exactly where it all started, but it's better now. I took a drive. I used to drive a lot when I needed some time to think and figure things out. With the open road and some music playing, I can tend to be able to resolve things. And, the good news is that I seem to be getting better at it.

I remember one drive from New York to Marysville, Ohio playing one cassette tape over and over. I was leaving camp with a lot of things unfinished, and did not want to go. I started the trip in tears, but 12 hours later, I was better. I think I was 25 at the time. Later on when I lived in Bloomington, I drove the 37 or 67 route between Bloomington and Indy a lot. Sometimes at weird hours of the night, but always with some music playing. The loop around Lake Monroe was good too, just watch out for the boat ramp on the south side of the lake. It is easy to miss in the dark and you might just drive into the lake!

Lucky for me, tonight I figured out what was up in about 30 minutes. And, I didn't even play my Taylor Swift CD to the point of having to give it away. Bonus!

I think I've been trying to figure out what happened to the 23 year old me. I feel like I was taller then. I know I had better hair. I think I was always funny. But what happened to all the things that I had planned? What were my expectations then and did I live up to them? And then somewhere south of Martinsville I realized that the dreams of a 23 year old didn't come true, but the life I have right now is pretty darn excellent. The 45 year old me is a lot better than the 23 year old ever dreamed.