Slow And Steady Wins The Race

I’ve always had a bit of a lead foot. Why drive the speed limit if you can go twenty over kind of a thing. To be fair, I never speed on small roads, only motorways. You never know if there will be a person or an animal or a farm vehicle. Whilst living in NY there was a swarm of Amish buggies to contend with so once I hit a throughway exit, it was back down to the speed limit max.

The last time I left NY to drive to North Carolina, well, whilst I was truly looking forward to the destination, I wasn’t looking forward to the journey. I had a full load in the car and a truck following me that I had to keep in sight because IdiotBoy, my sorry excuse for a son-in-law can’t follow a GPS.

I shit you not, the gormless, wittering twonk cannot understand that if it says exit in one mile and then exit now that you have to hit the exit ramp!! Even when we got to the street I live on and I turned into my driveway, he missed and kept going. He called 25 minutes later. Lost. We had to work out where he was and go get him. He managed to miss the driveway the second time too but at least my daughter was with him to scream at him that time!

So for many reasons I wasn’t looking forward to the drive. He couldn’t go above 65 miles an hour (scared) even though the roads most of the way had a 70 MPH limit so I was resigned to driving like an old fart.

Normally the drive down takes 11-11.5 hours dependent on traffic. It’s about 700 miles door to door and that counts stops for gas and food etc. The first two states, New York and Pennsylvania were grim because the roads are horrific and the weather was bad. We only had twenty minutes in Maryland and then about forty minutes in West Virginia before we hit Virginia. That’s always my favorite part of the journey as there are excellent roads and a higher speed limit.

This time I was poodling along at 60 – 65mph and I was amazed at how much better my gas mileage was. We’re talking 8-10 miles a gallon better than when I belt along! There are definitely consolations to being a slow coach I thought.

I realised what a beautiful day it was outside. I was still paying attention to the road but I noticed more of my surroundings. Driving through the Shenandoah Valley and across the Blue Ridge Mountains is breathtakingly beautiful. I know this but I rarely take the time to look. I’m hellbent on getting where I’m going and I forget to enjoy the journey.

I was amazed on getting to my new home that it had taken 35 minutes longer than my average time! I’d driven considerably slower. I’d used a tank less of gas and I’d only taken an extra half hour. I was a lot less tired and honestly, I’d enjoyed the drive a lot more.

Life’s like that. It doesn’t need to be a race. Being first isn’t everything. In fact, it’s nothing if you’re too blinkered to enjoy the route on the way to your destination. Life is one long journey comprised of many little ones. Don’t be in too much of a hurry that you forget to enjoy it.

Slow down, You have nothing to lose but stress and everything to gain.

The picture is cotton I slowed down and stopped to take a photo of on my way to view our house for the first time.

This was post written in response to the Discover Prompt: Slow