From the time I was a small child tall enough to see the world outside the car window, I have enjoyed taking in my surroundings on car rides. I was the child who could direct my friends' parents where to go, should they ever get lost. On the occasions when I do lose my way, I take the opportunity to discover a new place as I find my way to my destination. I'm the girl who cruised down Michigan Avenue one night because I'd decided to take a different route home from my class in Lincoln Park and just ended up on the Magnificent Mile. Let me tell you--it was truly a highlight of my life. I take pride in finding new shortcuts or discovering a new part of town.

Now that we're in the age of Google maps and Mapquest, I can easily spend hours studying maps of places I've been or places I'm planning to be. I am clearly a map nerd, but I proudly claim my nerdiness. I love directing Dave down a new road I discovered during my "studies" and exploring new places with him. And the times when we do get lost simply add to the fun.

Imagine, then, the internal tug-of-war I've endured since Dave received a GPS for his birthday. Sure, it comes in handy for him when he's driving to class or a new destination by himself. But, boy, do I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I happen to be in the car and "Samantha" is directing us where to go instead, especially when she takes too long to announce a turn I knew we had to take and we end up farther off course. It's been a bit of a hate (or at least strongly dislike) relationship that I've had with Samantha since we started relying on her instead of consulting Google maps. I never even took the time to figure out how she worked. This GPS nonsense was a foreign world for me, and not one I wanted to learn more about.

On Monday, when my husband was out for the evening, I took the GPS out to see how it worked. I suppose I was bored, because I would never willingly pick this device up to learn how it could assist me, the all-important navigator. As I checked out the different programs, I found one that may change my opinion about Samantha: the demo mode. Once you select your destination, Samantha takes you through your route, announcing each turn, and showing you exactly where you need to go. It's a little like an automated Google map, and it also gives you the chance to see side roads that may be better alternatives for an adventure.

Still, I'm not sure I'm completely sold on the idea of the GPS. I love the idea of learning a route myself and trusting my knowledge and instincts to get to the destination.

What do you think? Are you a GPS lover or a hater?

I'm listening to BBC Radio Scotland as I type my latest update. It's a "Behind the Music" style show about "Auld Lang Syne," and it's actually quite interesting. Either that, or I'm just desperate for anything related to Scotland. I've been missing that country a lot lately. It's been almost two years since my last visit, and I'm feeling the itch to return. Dave's been missing it, too. We've talked about how, once we do get to go back, we're heading out for fish 'n chips. (And it will definitely be washed down with Irn Bru.) I hope to get back there soon.

Today was the first "significant" snowfall of the season. I laughed when I heard the meteorologists getting excited about it, because we had only about an inch. Now they're all hyped up about a major snowstorm that's headed our way in the next couple of days. No one really knows what's going to happen. You can tell by the different predictions. I've heard everything from 1" to 12" of the fluffy stuff. (I'm hoping for the inch.)

Oh, dear. I can tell this post is quickly going downhill if I'm discussing the weather! Goodness! Well, there's really not that much to write about these days. Life is still gloriously simple. I go to work, come home and make dinner, and send Dave off to class three evenings a week. Our weekends are full of sleeping in, lounging on the couch while catching up on the week's TV shows, attending church together, and eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I had no idea how well this lifestyle suits me until I became so busy that I was practically running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Unlike how I felt life was just a blur last spring, I now feel like I am able to experience life, fully aware of what is going on instead of running here, there, and everywhere. I'm so grateful that we bravely said no to a life that wasn't the best for us, even if it left us utterly dependent on God for where we'd be headed next. That's both the scariest and best place to be, but we've found He hasn't let go of our hands yet.