I kind of disappeared off the face of the planet. At least as far as the internet is concerned, I did. I left New York in October two years ago. After years of creating internet posts for a living, it’s safe to say that I needed to disconnect. I traveled slowly westward for six months and settled in Seattle, where I finally had the opportunity to get lost among the evergreens and lost in the pages of my own notebook. The promise of new adventures hung on the horizon.
On June 12, 2017 at 10:32 PM, while driving on Interstate 5 South, my car was struck on the left rear corner by another driver performing an illegal lane change from the carpool lane. The impact pitted my car and sent me skidding sideways towards the back tires of a semi-truck trailer. I spun the wheel clockwise to gain control of the skid. As I felt my tires gain traction, I quickly turned the wheel back counterclockwise. At this point, there is a slight gap in my memory. According to drivers following me, I narrowly avoided the truck but sent myself into a spin that ended when I struck a concrete barrier, where my car came to rest. Witnesses were surprised I got out of the car.
Although both vehicles were totaled, everyone walked away from the collision. I fell asleep in the passenger seat of a tow truck with some minor soreness in my back but an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness for how the whole experience had gone and how it hadn’t.
Over the next few days, that minor soreness in my back grew to an overwhelming pain that kept me from sitting up or standing for more than ten minutes at a time. I felt like a home run derby winner took a bat to my lower back—at least he was swinging for the fences. Shooting pains alternating with numbness down my left arm and leg kept me from sleeping more than two hours at a time. The effects of sleep deprivation partnered with flashbacks of swiftly approaching semi-truck tires and the mental fog of prescription muscle relaxers left me with only a vague memory of the following month.
The next year was filled with doctor’s appointments, therapy (both physical and mental), and accumulating a nice amount of debt. I left a very lucrative sales job, because it turned out that my manager cared more about keeping my closing stats up than my long-term physical wellbeing. Who would have guessed? On the bad days, trauma from the collision completely debilitated me. On the good days, I managed to get out of bed. But thanks to the support of my family and friends, I’m still standing. I can honestly say that the car accident is the best thing to ever happen to me.
Learning perspective has a way of making me forget why I thought any status or number in my bank account meant anything. I met legal assistants and therapists and doctors who treated me more like family than a paycheck. I learned to look forward to and enjoy simple things like going to physical therapy or taking a short walk. I even enjoy driving again. I’m taking my life in a new direction. I’m going to be a teacher. I reminded myself every day that just getting out of bed is an accomplishment and that means it’s a good day. I also happened to meet the most amazing woman I’ve ever known, and she lets me take her out on dates. More on that another day…
There are still days that my neck and back hurt (sitting in this desk chair isn’t doing wonders for them). Even after the insurance settlement, my bank account has seen better days. I’ll never be the athlete I was before the collision. I’d settle for going on a run without feeling it for the next couple days. But if you happened to wonder what I’m up to, I’m busy being the happiest I’ve ever been.