Driven crazy

I just embarked upon Thelma & Louise style road trip to the West Coast via Vegas. As we left colorful Colorado behind and entered the varied landscapes of Utah, I realized that I felt good. I let out a calm breath as I scanned the vista of the place that held so many memories for me. And then it hit me: for over the past half-decade I've always touted and advertised how much I despised driving, but I was having fun on this delightful road trip while feeling at ease. "Why is this so different from all the other road trips I've had with my significant other in which this was not the case?" I asked out loud to my co-pilot.

According to our respective men, neither of us had ever driven for more than an hour on a road trip and on a good day couldn't read a map and were probably not going to make it to our first day destination in the south of Nevada -- oh, and Utah is desolate for miles and miles, by the way, so we should have a back up plan.

We mused what it was like when we would drive and the boys would ride along: constant commentary from the passenger seat, criticisms, demands, abrupt questioning, gripping the 'oh shit' handle.... Egad. Nothing but stress and distraction for someone trying to operate a vehicle from point A to point B safely.

Who would want to share driving responsibilities when scenarios unfold like that?

"Fine." we say, "YOU drive." And we hand over the keys and try to stifle it in the other front seat. And thus, we resort to what my delicate flower of a significant other likes to call Driving Miss Daisy or Driving the Bus.

Stop the bus, stuff it, and move over, Hoke Colburn. We'll take the wheel from here, thanks.

With limited maps, good conversation and a solid sense of direction, we arrived safe, sound, sane and ahead of schedule each day of our 'ill-fated' adventure.

We talked about big things, little things, listened to good music, analyzed lyrics, we advised and questioned each other with grace and kindness with sensitive vulnerable issues and hard questions we faced. We solved the world's problems and drew up a plan for a peaceful world domination and harmony in less time than the current administration. And, we talked about how we dreaded road trips with our past significant others. "How big of a turn on would it be to have a great road trip with a guy? Do they even have any idea?" we mused...