Over the course of my driving “career” I have been asked “why do I like road trips so much?” and I’ve often asked it of myself. I drive for hours with little breaks, monotonous highways, and all those bugs on the windshield. I think I’ve formulated the answer, but we shall see if that is true. I’m from NYC (That’s New York City if you’re unfamiliar). Born at a hospital in Long Island. Lived in Brooklyn, even up to now. Raised as a Manhattan/Brooklyn kid. Worked in Queens. I know this city like the back of my hand and sometimes that nauseates me. I’m from the city that so many people I talk to want to visit, yet I feel like I’m in a cage with a lot of people and infinite amount of activities.
That should be a good thing right? I’d never get lonely or never run out of things to do.
So why then do I instantly acquiesce when my friends ask me to be the driver on all the road trips? Whether it be days away, a quick trip across the state border, or hours long trips to drop off and pickup as I’ve done so often now for my best friend. Have I mentioned I’m like the best driver ever? I do say that humbly and sarcastically though. There’s always more I can learn. Up until like 2 years ago, I didn’t know how to drive through flooding lol. Thanks to my little brothers’ dad for teaching me that tidbit. Also, this past winter saw me in my first blizzard driving. I guess I learned snow driving in a sort of “trial by fire”. ….I hated every second of it.
But…I’m always eager to go. I get my dates, I get my destination, I get my itinerary, and I make my route. For a long time though, I couldn’t pick if it was the drive or the places that made me love being on the road so much, but I think I have my answer. It came to me on our most recent trip where we were in Buffalo for about a week. I’m always so ready to leave my city and look for life possibility in every new city I visit.
Boston is by far my least favorite.
I think “can I live here?” “Where would I work?” “Could I raise kids out here?” “Where are all the fun spots?” Some places fail, but some places pass. I love imagining my lifestyle in another area..with different people..in a different scene. Don’t get me wrong though, I love the big NYC and all it’s done for me. There is no place like it. I have just had enough of it. I need something different and I’m not loaded with money to the point where I can just fly away every 6 months to vacation somewhere and get that out of my system.
It would preferably be somewhere with awesome roads to drive on.
And I know it’s not mostly the driving because even though I love every minute of that almost as much as the trip itself, I was bred to be a flyer when I was a kid. Me and my mom flew everywhere…in the country because I don’t have a passport lol. The driving is fun. I like looking at the mountains and hills and rivers and lakes and bridges and farms and..you get the point. I even acquired a pretty reckless skill to take pictures of the stuff we pass while I’m still moving. After about 3 hours driving time though, my ass starts hurting majorly. A long time on the road straight still doesn’t bother me as much as it does most people.
I will always have a special love for my city, but maybe I just want to add another one to my heart. It’s entirely possible that I’ll see myself planted someplace else.
Til next time. Stay frosty.
Boi Growing Up 