Comfort is an incredible thing. What’s even more incredible is what people will do and sacrifice to experience that comfort. Every highway has exits, yet so many people choose to stay on the same road just because they’ve been on it for so long. I spent months on the same highway, simply because I knew it was safe and wouldn’t abruptly end. I passed countless other exits and couldn’t help but notice how bright the trees were along the sides of every highway I passed. Yes, the road I was on was growing dull, but I grew dependent on the comfort I had, since I knew where the road was going. I was on cruise control. I didn’t have to worry about speed, shifting, or anything else for that matter. My car was driving itself and I found myself in a state of naive acceptance. I had grown numb. It was not until I had the courage to turn off cruise control that the feeling in my hands returned. I gripped the steering wheel and took control. I quickly remembered how good it was to brake, idle, and accelerate as I got off of the highway I spent far too long on, and finally entered one of the countless highways I had seen and admired since I’d been driving. The g-force I experienced as my tires gripped the fresh asphalt while I turned brought a joy to me, the likes of which I had not experienced in some time. I began to lose the comfort I found on that old, dull highway and found a new comfort in no longer sacrificing all of the things I love in my life. Now, I’m exploring this new highway and realizing how bright this new road is. I appreciate the fact that the old highway got me to where I was going, but I will never miss the numbness I felt when my tires hit its broken pavement. Comfort is a state of mind, and my mind is now free.