"traffic"

Riding with us this weekend, a friend of ours commented that Dave drives "more aggressively than [he] used to". I didn't notice. I thought Dave was driving not only normally but also pretty calmly.

Truth is, we'll have some weeks of driving here before we re-adjust.

Driving in Mexico means speed bumps, crowded lanes, slow trucks, dangerous curves, rude taxis, swerving scooters, jaywalking children, stalled VB bugs, stray dogs, toll booth lines, traffic light lines, left turn lines, right turn lines, short exit ramps, passing police officers, and "hoy no circula" rules (emission testing regulations). This translates to a very stressful stop-and-go driving experience with lots of waiting, bumping, brake slamming, and aggressive driving. I would regularly zip between 3 lanes of traffic - passing cars left and right - and while I was the fastest driver I was still 10 km under the limit.

Driving this morning in Michigan - during "rush hour" - meant straight roads, long entrance and exit ramps, wide lanes, plenty of space between cars, driving 75 miles per hour, lots of signs, and otherwise calm and organized driving. But I just couldn't drive casually. For 45 minutes, I was constantly checking my mirrors for police officers or unruly drivers, I had both hands firmly on the wheel, and I had to remind myself to use the cruise control. I spent most of the time in the right "slow" lane, even though I was driving 5 miles OVER the speed limit. I was so busy driving, I didn't even have time to change the radio channel or drink my tea!

It might be a while before I am so confident driving casually that I can pick up my phone and make a call while driving. Then again, maybe I shouldn't ever get that comfortable.