Escape reality through driving

Driving down back roads with nothing but trees, and your favorite music playing, rain hitting your windshield, tears running down your face, your mind fixated on taking turns slowly and stopping at stop signs. Driving is one of the most therapeutic things you can do. But, if you do it wrong, it can be dangerous.

Have you ever gotten in an argument with someone and you storm off and get in your car and just sat in it? All the angry thoughts running through your mind and your hands shaking. Have you ever gotten really bad, sad news and you are in the car so you just put it in park and cry? Keep driving.

Keep driving so that your mind can push all of the bad things aside because you have to think when you are driving. You have to think of what you are doing rather than what just happened. Turn your music up and let go. When you’re sad, chances are you are going to drive slower anyways. When you are so angry that you can’t focus on what you are doing or are driving too fast, thats when you pull over and collect yourself.

Even sitting in the car, with no music on, just in still silence while the world is moving at its usual fast pace around you, serves a good purpose. It gives you a chance to hit pause. Hit pause and allow everything to disappear. Move into the silence of the car and listen to the world muffled by the windows and doors that surround you and protect you from the outside world.

It is only when you re-enter reality that your mind gets filled back up to the top with overwhelming thoughts about the million different things that could be going on in your life. While you’re in the car you think about: music, stopping at lights and stop signs, putting your

turn signal on, getting to your destination, and a few other things depending on what kind of car-thinker you are.

For me, Clair De Lune on the stereo during a rainy day, driving around with my coffee or tea, clears my head. I know every key by heart. The first time I listened and drove aimlessly it was after a friend had passed of cancer. Thinking of memories as I followed the song and allowed it to envelop me into my own little world while the rain washed away all of the bad. I drove, and I drove, and I drove until I couldn’t think anymore.

Driving down back roads with nothing but trees, and your favorite music playing, rain hitting your windshield, tears running down your face, your mind fixated on taking turns slowly and stopping at stop signs. I just kept going. Keeping my breathing steady, feeling the comfort of being in control of my own life. That’s what helped me breathe. There is nothing better, or more freeing. Just make sure you do it right.