A DECADE of Driving

So last night the husband and I were having dinner and we decided to do one of those table talks.  The question we pulled was "How have you changed in the past ten years?".  Well we won't even go in to that whole discussion, but out of the conversation I realized that exactly ten years ago this week I got my driver's license! That means I have been driving for a whole decade! Yikes, I feel old! My record is fairly clean: no tickets **knocking on wood** and just a few, tiny fender benders :)  I thought since I am now soooo experienced, I should share some of my driving wisdom.  Here are the top ten things I have learned in the last ten years as a California driver:

This is me in my very first car...no this was not ten years ago and no my name is not Katie (identity crisis, don't ask)

Lesson #1- Everyone should have to learn to drive a stick shift in their lifetime.  First of all for safety reasons (you never know people!), but mainly because it teaches you to be a more patient, understanding and forgiving driver.  Annnd people would stop riding your butt on hills.  You better believe I avoided hills like the plague when I had my stick shift.

Lesson #2- Convertibles are not quite as cool as they sound.  Well they might be if your first car was new and didn't share your year of birth. Regardless, your hair gets messed up, you can't hear the radio and bugs can fly in way too easily.

Lesson #3- Objects are ALWAYS closer than they appear.  Learned that one the hard way...a few times actually.

Lesson #4- You should NEVER text and drive, or even look at your phone and drive.  Learned that one the hard way too.

Lesson #5-  Going along with #4 there are two things your car MUST have....bluetooth and satellite radio.  I mean really I can't imagine going without either.  First world problem? Maybe :)

Lesson #6- Driving is always more fun with the radio up really, really loud.  Singing along should be a state law.

Lesson #7-  Speaking of state laws, California has some real dumb ones, but you should learn all the dumb ones too...just in case....

Lesson #8-  If you are running late, you will hit every red light and get stuck behind the slowest driver on the planet.  True story.

Lesson #9-  If your car is making weird noises, just turn up your radio.  Works every most of the time.

Lesson #10-  Driving is a privilege and a blessing.  Try to enjoy it and be patient with those other guys out on the road.  Even the ones who pull in front of you for no reason :)

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