Take a girl out of the south…but not the southern out of the girl!
- Tina Huggins
- Feb 17, 2013
- 2 min read
Every winter I dread traveling north and east….being a southern girl… driving in snow isn’t something I enjoy doing. Growing up, when snow arrived, someone else was driving so I never spent much time acquiring the skill….sort of like learning to drive a stick shift…I didn’t learn that either. My three children know how, but not their mama!
Many women and men manage these issue with ease as they are fearless to this type of weather! But if you have reservations like I do…here is my checklist for traveling north or east.
The first indication that the travel day might be challenge is noticing that they are de-icing the airplane on the runway and the pilot is talking about rough air and limited visibility!
1. Checking the weather up to 12 hours ahead helps you know if you need a more substantial car like a 4 wheel drive…today these cars are easy to manage and always make me feel more comfortable on the road….if course it could be just a false sense of security…at least I feel like I’m not as much of a danger to others on the road! Just call the rental car company and request a change.
2. Traveling somewhere with snow means…a bigger suitcase due to heavy clothes and shoes… to be
sure BIG BOOTS. I always travel with running shoes…then I have to think about boots…short boots…tall boots or both? Packing tall ones takes up a lot of room, but when I wear the tall ones thru security it’s a pain taking them off and on. I have some really great looking boots, but you also need to be sure the boots are waterproof…there’s nothing worse than soggy socks from the wrong kind of “cute boots”… as my daughter says, “You don’t dress for cuteness in cold weather states!”
3. Don’t leave the rental car area without making sure the car has a substantial scraper…I have discovered all too often there is no scraper in the car! Sometimes the scraper is so pathetic that it couldn’t clean light frost from a window…a real bummer when you have a thick layer of ice on your windshield after an overnight freeze! Even traveling in some southern states in January and February require a scraper as they often get ice and heavy frost that requires scrapping.
4. Park close to the hotel entrance so you can stand inside where it is warm and watch the car while it is defrosting….much better than sitting in a car with cold air blowing on you.
5. Speaking of the overnight freeze…it can often take 15 minutes to defrost a car in the morning so you need to allow extra time for this…especially if you are going someplace to work. You don’t want to be late…and I hate driving in a cold car with a tiny circle to visibly look thru as I drive….besides the fact that it isn’t safe.
6. Be sure you have a hat, scarf and gloves! I tuck them in the front of my suitcase so I don’t walk out the door without them…these are a wintertime must and come in handy in 19 degree weather!
The one thing I do know is the more I do something…the better I get at it…so one day…I’m confident I will be hell on wheels…even in the snow!
Good news….March is just around the corner and spring weather will be upon us!
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