Independence Day

Although I've been on the road for over a year now, I haven't done any actual driving. You might have read that last week I had an opportunity to help some friends by taking some things down to Alabama for them.

While in the truck on my drive down to Mobile and back, I realized something I've known my whole life; being on the road equals freedom.

True Independence.

I've always felt that way about driving. I can't tell you how many times I used to take the two hour trip down to New York City from my home in the Catskills. While on the road to the city and back, I always felt free. Like I could do anything. Anytime. Anywhere. It was a wonderful time to daydream.

On the way home from the city at night, I would lower all of the lights on my instrument panel and drive home with just the slightest glow filling the car, my music playing in the background. I felt as if I were the only one on the road; in the world even.

Driving a truck feels the same way. You are in this huge vehicle, King, well in my case, Queen of the road and it feels so powerful and free. In the past nineteen months, I've seen this life, this fantastic-and-free-and-wonderful-and-it-must-be-a-dream-that-I-can't-ever-possibly-have kind of life. But I do have it. We have it.

We go anywhere we'd like, at any time. We choose how much money we'd like to make for the week. We choose which states we want to visit. We decide if we want to spend our time off in San Francisco or Chicago or Miami or Fargo. We stay up as late as we'd like. We get out of bed in the morning when we feel like we've had enough rest. We answer to no one. We don't come in at eight, lunch at noon and leave at five. We have complete freedom. I've never been in a career that offered this kind of freedom and can't imagine ever being in one again that doesn't.

I look forward to getting on the road and using my new skill in a way that can only benefit me in a positive manner; with money, travel, experiences and more freedom.

The kind of freedom only the road can offer; a way to be truly independent.

What a perfect way to commemorate the Fourth of July.