This post is for all the ladies who love to drive as well as the ladies who have no other choice...and to my dad and uncle, who taught me it’s all about the journey.
It's All About The Journey
My father was a huge British sports car fan. My uncle was a huge fan of exotic Italian cars. I grew up hearing a lot about the E-Type and the "Bond Car" DB5, as well as the Testarossa and the Diablo. And because of them, I’ve always loved cars and driving, and road trips have always been my favourite.
I still remember an epic road-trip with the girlfriends in my pre-marriage, pre-kids days: we took my Toyota RAV4 from Vancouver, BC to San Diego, CA, across the US-Mexican border to Tijuana, Mexico, then back up to Los Angeles and across the desert to Las Vegas, and back. Three girls, two weeks, eight cities, thousands of miles; driving at dawn, dusk and throughout the night - it was probably one of the best road trips of my life.
Unfortunately, as we grow older, driving becomes less scenic and more routine – the kids’ 6 am morning practice, the messy school parking lots, the rush hour gridlock, the Fast and Furious-like quick runs to the grocers. With kids, work and errands, we seldom get to just enjoy our drive anymore – family road trips are nothing but another chance to yell at the kids to stop fighting, or at the husband to stop and ask for directions already.
I recently got a dash cam installed in my car, gotta love job perks! I didn’t expect much of the footage because it’ll just be another boring drive to and from work and the kids’ school – same roads, same gridlocks, same cute guy at the bus stop. After all, even though we get dash cams for “in case of an accident” situations, we never want to be involved in one. I just want to get home so I can make dinner for the kids before the school PTA meeting!!
But, I was surprised by what I saw in the footage. I’ve been driving the same roads every day and I never knew there is a cat sanctuary just a block away from the office! I also never realized my neighbor across the street is always out jogging, rain or shine, at 5:30 pm. All the things I’ve missed on my drive home because my mind was too busy thinking about what to make for dinner, or which kid had what practice that night.
When our drives become routine, we miss out on a lot of things that are happening around us, outside the car – things that are interesting, things that are worth paying attention to, and things that we never knew existed – and it is often these things that make the drive enjoyable and memorable.
My girlfriends and I may have already forgotten about the roller coaster rides and the theme parks or the few too many yummy Cosmos we had at the MGM Grand, but we will always remember the ocean and the sand dunes between Oregon and California, the dusty chaotic streets of Tijuana, and the dazzling lights of Sin City emerging at the end of the desert. If only we had video footage of that road trip, we could show our kids how their moms were cool once upon a time.
So, to all the ladies who love their drive, and ladies who have no other choice, you can make your drive more enjoyable and more memorable with a dash cam. Dash cams are no longer just another car gadget for the guys. Maybe we don’t need to prove to our friends that we can replicate all those smooth Fast and the Furious moves, and maybe we don’t even want to share our drive with others, but there will be a time when you wish you had footage of a particular drive, and that’s when you wish you had a dash cam.
Dash cams will always be for “just in case” situations, but instead of “just in case of accidents”, it should really be “just in case I want to remember this scene, this moment, this drive”.
And it doesn’t matter what you’re driving: car or truck, Harley or Ducati or motocross, ATV or dune buggy or snowmobile, there are a lot of dash cams out there to help you capture all your journeys and adventures ahead. Not everyone needs a top-tier premium 4K Ultra HD dash cam, but at the same time, not all budget-friendly dash cams are equal. There is a weatherproof dash cam made specifically for motorcycles, ATV, snowmobiles and other vehicles you take on adrenaline-rush adventures.
If you ever need a second opinion on which dash cam fits your needs, come talk to us. If you are in the Greater Vancouver area, we can even help you install the dash cam.
Until next time ladies, Happy Driving and Happy Capturing the Journey!