It Hasn't Been That Long (Has It?)

I've lived in Ottawa for a couple of years now but I'm still a Winnipegger at heart. I think. I still think I know the city even though it is not as clear in my mind as it was. The one that caught me off guard was driving today.

It's winter in Winnipeg. It isn't something in between or a transition. It's full on winter. There are the slippery snow covered rutted streets. I was doing some running around today. I had Christmas gifts to buy. So I borrowed a friends' car. Their brand new two wheel drive car. Now I have done plenty of winter driving in my life. I have done a lot of it with a two wheel drive car. That being said, for the last five years I have been driving a four wheel drive SUV. To add to it, i have not encountered any full on winter driving conditions in Ottawa yet this year.

So, I was smart about it and took it easy. As I slipped and slid all over the Winnipeg streets I realized that it may not seem like a long time since I moved away, the world doesn't stop changing because I did.

I must admit I felt my winter driving skills were not where they should be. I wan't dangerous but I didn't feel I could drive with verve and spirit like I used to. The slight lack of confidence lead to hesitation. It probably was not enough for other drivers to notice but I did, and that's what matters.

So, as we go forward in life, the places from our past will change as will we but one thing will remain, you will always need winter driving skills in Winnipeg.