Slowly I’m getting used to things again. I thought maybe I would think differently about driving on the streets of Toronto, maybe be afraid or something- but I just developed a brand new appreciation for our roads. They are beautiful, spacious and drivers are accommodating. I mean, people don’t cut you off at a whim. There’s enough road for all of us. I know you have the general road rage and so forth but the roads and highways are so spacious that people don’t need to overtake into oncoming traffic to arrive at their destinations. I feel at ease driving on Toronto streets- something I wasn’t sure I felt while I was in Jamaica. I drove for brief periods by myself- to church and back. I’ve had the chance to drive at different periods of the day. So many things I had to watch out for. On top of the fact that I had to get used to the vehicle and where everything was located- ie windshield wipers, indicators and lights which are located on the opposite side since the driver sits on the right. Outside of the car, I still had to be sure I was always driving on the left side of the street. Since people also walk and ride along the same small street I had to make sure I didn’t hit them. Yea there were times when the car was moving to the edge of the road, no white lines on the road to ensure I was on the road (really bad at night) I’ll find that I was scratching the edge of the road and not know it until I felt the wheel travelling on rough terrains. I would veer the car back on track, still making sure I avoid oncoming traffic because again, no white lines to dictate whether or not I was on my side of the road. Well there were no collisions thank God and the car was left unscratched so I suppose I did fairly well. Driving in Jamaica is like a roller coaster- you just never know what’s coming!

What I like about driving in Toronto is that there are no vendors on the street to attack you with their products or panhandlers to demand your money. It’s just a smooth drive when you leave your house and arrive at your destination. There are stoplights and stop signs that people actually follow and when there aren’t any, we have a rule for who yields. So coming back to Canada, I realize how structured our streets are and how in order everything is, which is great but I was slightly expecting a little chaos. When comparing driving in Jamaica to Toronto, the latter is boring. Nothing exciting happens. And yes I do appreciate that, very much. But driving in Jamaica? That’s fun! You need another kind of license and many years of experience to be qualified. Cudos (props) to you Jamaican drivers! Even when I was holding onto the handrails and/or back of the seats (when there were no seatbelts) for dear life, I was still having fun. Thank you for giving me the ride of my life and making it an adventurous trip. I know this was not the intention and is the way of life there, but I loved it! 🙂