Adjustments

Driving along the dusty gravel roads last year, it was hard not to think there might be a cop sitting at the next intersection, or hiding behind that big barn up the way. In the city, it is always in the back of your mind to keep an eye out for speed traps. In the country, it just isn't an issue. I used to marvel at the trucks barreling down the highway at 75mph in a 55mph zone, just knowing they would be pulled over shortly. After living there for over a year, I know it is laughable to think of a cop at every intersection. You can drive for weeks without seeing one. Certainly there are no fancy speed traps with multiple vehicles ready to pounce on offenders.

So without knowing it, over the past year, my driving has changed. I had to run an errand at a local grocery store in Washington, and on the way, I actually found myself watching the side of the road, my eyes darting from one to the other searching for deer. Yes, in the city. In the middle of the day, on a completely developed, suburban road. All of the sudden, I realized I had also not been paying attention to other cars (you don't really pass that many out on country roads). I felt like a foreigner learning to drive on the wrong side of the road!

Don't worry, I didn't have to pay attention to the speed traps and plethora of cops about - I was going slow so I wouldn't hit any deer.