Today was 64 degrees and sunny in Washington D.C. A little further south, in Fredericksburg, VA it was 67 degrees. And it was a windy outside, but it’s also January 25 and I have been craving the outdoors, or at least the sun and warmth. This winter has sucked, frankly, and it’s only 1 month old technically. Riding in on the Metro this morning, I couldn’t help but think that it would have been so fun to have called out of work today, for the first time in my life to just enjoy an unexpected, non-sick day off, and gone for a long drive in my newly fixed (and clean) semi-beloved Ford Focus. Instead, I sat in a windowless office that averaged an unbearable 75 degrees.

I thought about where I would have driven to today: Chapel Hill (4 1/2 hours each way, but I love North Carolina and haven’t been in quite a while), Front Royal, VA (1 1/2 hours, great applewood smoked pulled pork sandwich place), Fredericksburg, VA (1 1/2 hours, they have a Sonic), New York City (4 hours, A city I constantly feel the need to conquer), and on and on.

What I really needed today and have needed for a while, is to get in the car, roll down the windows, and without a care in the world, rock out and drive alone. And keep driving. Nothing (non-human), whether it be football, food, or millions of dollars can make me as happy as a carefree and aimless sunny day drive.

Alas, my conscience is what it is and I continued riding the train into work. I went outside to buy a sandwich at lunchtime at the shop a block away. And it was beautiful outside. But I couldn’t help but think, sitting in that windowless office, that it would likely be two months before it was this nice again and how different my day could have been, how even life changing it could have been, had I just gotten in the car and drove. Windows down. Open road. Music loud. My constant.