Driving Miss Danni!

It was on that fateful trip to NYC where I was introduced to Dhruv's unique driving style. So Dhruv grew up and started driving in India, fast-paced city India kind of driving. He was right at home in NYC! The supposed 11-hour drive was completed in 9 hours on the way up. Just as in India, rules were only a suggestion to Dhruv.

Now this was my first trip with him, so the cool, calm Southern girl that I am was holding on for dear life! And I was trying to do it in a way that didn't betray my fear to him. I may have created a small indention in the floor boards and the "handle" is a little looser that it was to begin with, but hey-we survived! If I only knew then that I would get to see India driving and traffic issues first hand in a few years! I would have been more understanding. I really don't think they have traffic pattern rules- or not that I could figure out at least... it was more of an, may the odds be ever in your favor kinda deal.

Now a true Southern farm girl I was driving a five-speed little truck that my dad owned at the ripe age of nine. Only in the fields, but it was early training. Since my dad was a former long-haul truck driver himself, it wasn't the Department of Motor Vehicles that I had to impress, I had to pass my dad's driving test! In the slow roads of my hometown, I was driving on the roads hauling tobacco about age 14 (2 years before the legal age) - my dad always said there was an exception for farmers- there wasn't. But my dad was willing to roll the dice on driving just like Dhruv.

Dhruv brought out the more aggressive side of driving for me- to the point that I am now just a Passenger Princess and he handles all the driving while I nap, play music, talk his ear off, hand out the snacks and treats I packed for the road, read or play games on my phone. And I taught him how to be a defensive driver, how to see traffic patterns and lane changes ahead of the regular traffic- things my dad taught me. Just like everything else, we brought the best of both worlds to a happy medium and learned a little along the way! And I earned the title of Passenger Princess!