One of the things that I most miss when I travel is driving. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about driving for hours like my brother Lyndon and his semi - I'm talking about hitting the open road (which is not hard to do in southern Manitoba!). After my first big trip to Austria in 2003, after being gone for 6 weeks, I remember coming back, hopping into my car and saying over and over again how weird it was to be in the driver's seat again. Of course, being in the driver's seat took on another meaning after being in South Africa where, as a passenger I was in the driver's seat (according to road rules back home), but not driving!
Being a passenger in a car in Istanbul was an experience in itself. One of the other teachers described the city's traffic as frustrating as untangling Christmas lights. They had very few traffic lights, so you just drove - it was crazy! When I returned home, it was my car and the opportunity to drive that reminded me of the freedom and independence that I was missing while in Turkey.
So why in the world am I blogging about driving? Well, I guess it's a reminder that owning a car makes me part of a small percentage of people on the planet who are rich enough to have such luxury. As a woman, having a license should remind me that that is not the case for every woman in the world. Check out:
www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/saudi-women-demand-to-be-in-drivers-seat-124124234.html
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