hydroplaning

Tuesday night I left for a Institute for Healthcare Improvement conference in Nashville. Since my brother Brock lives there, I was going to stay a few extra days to hang out with him and study for my exams while he was at work. It was raining when I left Atlanta and rained most of the way there. There were a few times I had to drive slower because visibility and inclines/turns made it unsafe to drive the speed limit. The roads were mostly empty. I guess it's not a common thing to drive between Atlanta and Nashville after 10pm on a Tuesday night. I was 9 miles east of Murphreesboro when my car hydroplaned while going 70 mph on a straight, flat part of the road. I lost control and the car hit the guard rail on the inside median, spun around 360* across the interstate and I braked to a stop in the emergency lane on the other side, just missing going off into the ditch. While this was happening, I saw glass hitting the windshield, so I thought that either the windshield or a window had shattered. As I sat immediately after I had stopped the car, I was bracing myself to get wet (since it was still raining) and to feel pain. Neither happened. I called Brock and told him I needed him to come get me. I called my dad to talk to him about the car. Since it was dark and raining, I couldn't assess the damage where I was at. We decided that if I could drive the car, I should drive slowly in the emergency lane to the next exit and assess the car in the light under a gas station pavilion. So I proceeded to the next exit, but there was nothing at that exit, so I had to go to the next exit. When I got out at the gas station to assess the car, it didn't look as bad as I thought it would. In fact, I was really shocked. I ended up meeting up with Brock and he drove in front of me in the emergency lane all the way back to his place since my headlights were out. He stayed on the phone with me the whole drive home to make sure that I was ok.

I did go to the conference. I did hang out with Brock. I tried not to think about the accident or what would come of the car. I knew my dad would be coming today with our truck and trailer to haul the car home and that he would be able to assess it. There was no point in worrying about it. The wreck has flashed through my mind a few times a day but I've tried not to dwell on it and simply be thankful that I came out untouched. But yesterday and today I was forced to start planning for how I'm going to get to one of my jobs. Fortunately school and one of my jobs is closeby so I can bike or walk. The other job is a 20 minute drive, so I'll have to come up with a car for that.

I'm so thankful for so many things in this situation:
- I wasn't hurt.
- There was no one coming behind me on the interstate that would have hit me when I spun across the road.
- I was ok after the accident and was able to call for help. Since no one saw it happen, no one stopped to help me and if I had been hurt, I don't know how long it would have taken for help to have arrived.
- Brock was within 30 minutes to come rescue me.
- The car didn't have to be towed.
- My parents were able to drive up today to haul the car home.
- I didn't have anywhere I had to be the rest of this week.
- The car may be salvagable.

No matter what the outcome of the car, I'm so thankful to be alive and unhurt! God is so good!