rite of passage

This weekend I went up to Pittsburgh, and after shopping around for a mode of transportation, I rented a car to drive up and back. I've been talking about renting a car after turning 25, and now I've finally done it. And, true to any rite of passage, this weekend definitely had its challenges.

First off, it was strange to drive an automatic, but even more so to drive one of those hybrid part-standard part-automatic things. Because when you have to stop suddenly, your right hand drops to the gear shift trying to shift to neutral and your left foot presses down on the floor looking for a non-existent clutch. And "I've got to get in neutral" races through your mind even while you can't do it.

But that's beside the point.

It rained this weekend, especially on my driving days of Friday and Sunday. It rained a lot. And there was roadwork somewhere in Maryland and I went five miles in one hour. I'm not kidding either. So while my initial ETA was a little before 5, I arrived a little after 6.

On the way home there wasn't much traffic, but as I neared DC and had about thirty minutes or so of time left before returning my car, the skies opened up and poured, making it a little difficult to see. And of course, I don't drive in DC so I'm attempting to check my directions and watch the signs and attempt to watch the traffic around me through a veil of raindrops.

But...I passed. I got my car, and myself, to and from in one piece and managed to do so in a strange car on a strange drive without getting lost.

And the trip was more than worth it and worth the annoyances and the slight stresses. And it will also be no big thing to rent another car in the future.