So I had like the best weekend ever and then it all came crashing down in a matter of about 5 seconds, in a very literal way.
I flew into the airport in St. Louis, which had some delays due to weather. It was snowing, lightly but there were ice issues too. I got to my car, made my way out of St. Louis and was headed home on Route 67, which is a two lane highway that runs basically from St. Louis to Jacksonville, my hometown. I was doing fine, just ready to get home and stop traveling and sit and relax. All of a sudden, somewhere in between Jerseyville and Carrollton, I hit a patch of black ice. I totally lost control of the car, both brakes and steering. I try to get the car to stop but it doesn't. I swerve into the other lane and crash into an oncoming car head on. It was the most bizarre, surreal, terrifying, and in a way exhilarating second of my life. The airbag went off so I barely moved. It took me a minute to process what happened. The feeling afterwards was something I had never experienced before. So many questions go though a person's head: Is anyone hurt? Is anyone dead? How's the car? Oh Crap this is my fault. Is this going to jeopardize my going to Africa? Where are my glasses? Oh crap they're broken in the road somewhere. Once I got my bearings I discovered some amazing things. First of all, no one was hurt. The car I hit had a guy and a girl in it, and they were both cut a little but nothing serious. I didn't have a scratch. Even the glasses I was wearing I eventually found behind the driver's seat, unscathed. I couldn't believe it. I called Dad and he was on his way to pick me up immediately. We had to sign refusal of treatment forms, and then I waited for my parents while the firemen and policemen helped me get whatever i needed out of the car, which was then towed away and will probably be totaled. Eventually mom and dad arrived. I don't think I've ever been so glad to see them. I felt like when I was a little kid and I got lost in a store and I was so scared cause I didn't have mom or dad with me. Now I'm home, safely, probably soon to be really sore.
It feels like a bad dream. I'm almost sure I'll wake up tomorrow and this'll be gone. It never feels like something that happens to you. I have so much other stuff to do in the next week-ish and all I can feel right now is this hazy dream-like state. Part of me is even more ready to go to Africa to get away from all of this, but part of me knows I have even more stuff to see through before I leave.