I have driven across the country on long road trips, from coast to coast and up and down the East coast and many places in between.  Before smartphones and apps and even before early GPS systems were common, I would print out directions on MapQuest, and I had a road atlas in my car.

I would usually study the directions or map before leaving, and then just drive.  Sometimes hours on end without even listening to music or speaking to another person at all and other times getting completely sucked into some of my favorite music that evoked various emotions.  Mostly I loved just being there on the road, taking in the sights of the places I was traveling to and through.

Then, when I would get closer to my destination I would  stop and study the map and directions in detail again to know exactly where I was going.  Then I would repeat for the next trip.

Driving is such a great metaphor for my life, both in how I do long trips with a goal in mind, but am not only focused on the details of the destination, and instead enjoying the trip itself.  Also the part about creating space and freedom and a bit of separation from the pack by taking opportunities when I see them and going just a little bit faster than most other drivers.