Chelsea Ottaviani- Driving to UVA

I make the 147 mile drive on I-64 west and I-295 north every weekend to Charlottesville, Virginia to visit my friends who attend UVA. Each weekend its the same twist of roads and merging of traffic as it was the weekend prior too. I remember the first trip I made I was terrified that I would get turned around somehow and end up in the middle of nowhere....now that I think about it the idea is hysterical to me. I have traveled these roads so many times that the thought of getting lost seems impossible- it seems as if I could drive this trip with my eyes closed. The drive is long and monotonous with straight roads and the same view over and over again. It wasnt until very recently that I started to take in the view as I made the trip. The roads are lined with hundreds of enormous trees, that to me seemed to blend in with all that was around me. Now that the seasons have changed I am finally beginning to notice the beauty that surrounds me as I take this weekly trip. All of the leaves have turned to a gorgous red and most recently they have started to scatter the street and fall like snowflakes. The trip is no longer boring for me, I now look forward to the two and a half hour weekly drive. By noticing my surroundings and taking in the wilderness I have learned to appreciate the simple things given to me that I once disregarded.