Open Road, Open Mind.

 

I believe it is fair to assume that we all have our own way of relieving stress or clearing our mind after a long day. Lately I find myself going for long drives when my mind seems to be focused on everything except what it needs to be.

Pictured above is the Niagara Parkway in the beautiful winter months. When its nice out I find myself going for runs on the parkway so this year I thought why not try driving it instead. We all have our own way to eliminate excess stress but there is something so calming about driving next to the river with the music blasted. I grew up on the parkway so I know it well, and I have all sorts of little places I have discovered over the years to park and escape the world for a little while. (I may or may not be sitting in my car next to my favourite dock writing this post).

Driving to clear your mind is one of the easiest things to do. While gas is still expensive sometimes it's worth it. The view is so refreshing and it's so easy to loose yourself in a song and forget all the negative. Does driving actually relieve stress? I suppose that depends on the individual, but my friends know that if I ask them to go for a parkway cruise it means something is weighing heavy on my mind.

The Niagara Region is riddled with scenic drives. From Niagara on the Lake, to Crystal Beach there is always something to see. In the winter months the ice and snow look beautiful on the river, not to mention the parkway homes always have the best Christmas light. In the summer the flowers and wildlife are often unexpectedly breathtaking.

I challenge all of you to take a nice long drive. See if it works to clear your mind.

57,155 kms and counting.

Giving Up Control, Can You Do It?

This weekend was the first time in a long time that I gave up the control I typically have behind my own steering wheel. It is not often that I am not one the driving when hanging out with friends or heading to school and work, but this weekend things changed up just a little bit.

Over the weekend I went on a mini vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and let me tell you my flight there was quite the experience. Being March break I was literally SURROUNDED by children. A row of children 10 and under in front a mom with two toddlers behind and I sat next to a 13 year old boy with a serious starring problem. That is until her fell asleep on my should, how cute NOT. It has been an extremely long time since I have traveled with anyone under the age of 18 and it is probably I task I would not mind avoiding for another 10 years. Don't get me wrong I love children and I work with them on a daily basis but I just wanted to travel in peace. (Side note: I need louder head phones).

Back to the actual flight.

As the driver you are used to bracing yourself for bumps and avoiding pot holes when possible. But sitting in the 15th row in zone 4 on Spirit Airlines direct flight to Myrtle Beach took that control away completely. While our pilot seemed like a nice enough man these turbulence seemed boarder line rector scale materials. This plane was bouncing around the entire time, no napping and no homework possible. I have never been so grateful to land.

Getting back into my car when I returned home on Monday, after a much smoother, quieter and enjoyable flight was a blessing. You never realize how much you take having the control of knowing what direction you are going in and what the road conditions are like for granted.

However while I was gone my speedometer still somehow changed. Hopefully my family enjoyed burning all my gas!

56,834 kms and couting.

The Importance of the PLAYLIST

Everyone knows that every good road trip needs a pre-planned and well though out playlist. It is import to to reach every audience in your car and ensure that a minimum of three singalongs will occur. This means you need to include you classic Boy Band materials (Backstreet Boys). The 90's girl group, from personal experience Spice Worlds 'wannabe' is a sure fire start to a group sing along.

However I believe every playlist needs a few 'oldies but goodies' if you know what I mean. This means that I like to throw in a few songs that no one willingly admits they listen to, but we all know they're lying. My favourites for this include ACDCs 'Shook Me All Night Long' and 'Cotton Eyed Joe'.

In my opinion it your musical selection is the most important thing on any road trip. We all know that the radio is not always reliable and so for your night car ride I challenge you to take the matter into your ow. Hands. If this isn't your style why not give 8tracks or songza a try.

Happy travels.
56,348 Kim's and counting

What does it mean when you turn up your radio?

There are only a few reasons one would turn up the radio in their car and it is the passengers duty to know them and react accordingly.

1. This is a great song.
For this particular reason a passenger is not only invited but encouraged to participate in a mini car jam session. All air instruments welcome and vocals highly recommended.

2. Lets leave the singing to the professionals.
We all have that one friend who believes she's the next Carrie Underwood. Well news flash sweetie but you probably shouldn't waste your time looking into the next Canadian Idol audition times. I am only turning up this crappy Adelle song to drown out the ruckus coming out of your mouth.

3. This song is deep. Embrace it.
Lyrics often connect with us on much deeper and emotional levels than an artist may anticipate. Connecting with song lyrics while in your car with a passenger in tow is when things can get a little tricky. At this point your only hope is that your passenger understands you on a much deeper level and will let you have your three minutes of pure lyrical bliss without judgment.

In short we all have our own reasons for what with do in our cars and particularly with our volume control. With this I ask you to chose your passengers carefully because no one enjoys a drive with a sub par copilot.

Happy Travels

55,555 kms and counting

What do you hang from your rearview mirror?

Every driver attempts to personalize his or her vehicle, and there are so many ways to do this. A specific scent or air freshener, seat covers, mats, detailing or colours. But the one I find most fascinating is what a driver hangs from their rear view mirror. I am not talking about parking passes, I mean the things an individual has taken the time to think out. The variety is endless.

For example you have the classic baby shoes, dice and mardi gras beads, but when you start to pay attention you will be rather surprised by what you see. Mini skeletons, Hawaiian lais, necklaces, dog tags and children's crafts. The possibilities are endless.

When walking through a parking lot I love looking at these small momentos and trying to picture who the driver of a vehicle may be. Is the driver a owner of the car with dice a young reckless male, or did the woman driving the car with dog tags lose someone close to her.

We all have our reasons for hanging what we do in a space that is highly personally and a constant in our lives. So think about it. What do you have hanging from your rear view? What does it mean to you? 

Don't forget to check your rear view.
55, 234 km and counting.

Snow tires, expensive... but are they worth it?

Everyone always seems to be discussing the importance of snow tires. I however, as a student decided that this would be a place to save cost when purchasing a car this year. I could not have been more wrong.

This winter has been a 'snowpocalypse'. The amount of snow we have received in the last few weeks seems as though it is a sign by which some cruel person has decided to inform me about my lack of preparation. Every drive to school, work or home seems like a field trip through the danger zone with my back end sliding around while my front tires are simultaneously spinning out of control.

And as much as I complain about this awful winter and the horrendous driving conditions it has taught me a lot and reminded me how important it is to always be a cautious driver. Through my bad luck I have learned that if you fail to start stopping way back you will in fact slide through a red light and then feel like you are holding your breath for a multitude of hours. I have learned that if you are having a difficult time getting up a hill dropping down into first will give you more traction. But most importantly I have learned that next year I will be investing in snow tires.

Slow down, and stay on the roads.
54,800 kms and counting.

That Dreaded Gas Light

It appears to me that my gas light is forever dinging and blinking at me. A drive in my car is a constant battle between me and my gas light. This process to have become something similar to a war. I put in thirty dollars and it will feel like I drove around the block and then BAM my lovely blinking orange visitor is back on my dash.

The truth is I'm exaggerating just a bit, but I think most students could agree that they feel like they work to pay for school and to pay for gas.

So here are some gas saving tips
1) don't commute to school.
2) don't drive your car.
3) don't let other people drive your car.

Joking, these are unavoidable but there are somethings you can do to save on gas. Car pooling: Ask around, see if someone in your program lives in the same area. Ask your friends to pitch for gas. SERIOUSLY this is something I am always so afraid to do. The truth is however if they are a good friend and appreciate all the driving you do they'll be willing to hand over some cash for you willingness to drive them.

Drive Safe
54, 746 kms and counting.