I am no stranger to the drive on I-27 from Canyon to downtown Amarillo after having a job and internship in Center City Amarillo over the past two years. Weekly, my little, red Toyota Yaris makes its way past Kimbrough Memorial Stadium, over the curved bridge to merge onto the Canyon E-Way and past Hollywood 16 at the speed of 75 miles per hour. But, when I-27 meets with Bell Street, a white sign greets me with, “SPEED LIMIT 60 MINIMUM 45.”

Over the past two years, my right foot always lands on the brake, cancelling my cruise control, and I reset my speed at 60 miles per hour. However, it seems to me that I am the only driver on the highway with the ability to read the large, black numbers posted on that white sign. My car trudges along in the right hand lane, and I am passed constantly by flying cars with drivers who either failed to notice the speed limit change, or more likely, chose to ignore it.

I know it is cliché to think that some of those people whizzing past my car are “living life in the fast lane,” but I catch myself thinking that quite often. I have never understood risking the fine accompanying a ticket for speeding down the highway over arriving to your destination a few minutes later by following the law. But, why am I afraid of a ticket for exceeding the speed limit on the highway, when I realize I have been speeding through parts of my senior year?

So during my 20-minute drive yesterday as I watched headlights quickly turn to taillights beside me in the left lane, I thought to myself, “In the last few weeks I have left in high school, why would I want to speed through them?” I finally realized that I need to turn the cruise control off, just like I do when I’m driving down I-27. I am going to enjoy the last few miles I have left on this road.