It was a cold and snowy night. I can still remember this night horribly well because it was most likely the first time when I spent the whole drive home praying that I wouldn’t get into an accident.

It happened some time late 2012 or early 2013, I am not sure. The day had been snowy and rainy, sometimes mix. I had spent the day looking outside the window at work, just admiring how beautiful it was. At 5 PM, after finishing tutoring my last student, I stepped out of the school and into the snow.

It had begun to snow hard. Large fluffy snowflake fell all over me. I quickly grabbed the brush and brushed the accumulated snow off my car. I thought about staying until the snow wasn’t falling as fast before I ventured home but then I thought about how much traffic I was going to have then.

I made that decision in the few minutes as I waited for my car to warm up. I shook my head at myself. Better not wait. Traffic will be so much worse when the snow plows come.

I shifted my car to drive and carefully pulled out of the parking space. It wasn’t easy especially with my old worn-out tires but as soon as I saw the traffic on the highway, I knew this was going to be a long night.

I needed to turn left but in this condition, it was impossible. So eventually, I changed my blinkers to turn right and a driver stopped and let me. I was so grateful.

But now I was going the wrong way!

I need to get into the left lane and turn around as I soon as I can. The snowy condition was becoming terrifying and the only thing to keep me calm was music on the radio. I turned on my left blinker and tried to do the impossible, change lane. I couldn’t see a thing out of either windshields and all four windows. I was forced to turn my heat to defrost to clear the windows of ice which meant that the temperature inside the car was dropping.

I was freezing!

Thank god a car in the left lane finally let me cut in front of them and at the next opening, I took it. I steered the car into the median and turned into a small street. I turned slowly and could feel the car skidding as I made the turn. I don’t have all the time in the world because cars were coming.

I completed the turn but now, how was I supposed to turn around? There was at least 6 inches of snow on the ground. My heart started pounding as I began to pray. “If you get me safe, I will do anything.” I don’t know why I kept saying those words but those words helped me turn around on that street.

I steered back out onto the road. Snow was steadily falling now as my foot remained firmly on the brake. “You can do this.” I told myself and gritted my teeth as I traversed down the hill at less than 20 mph.

I couldn’t see thing and I was beginning to feel like I’m trapped in an igloo. I loosely followed the car in front of me and the couple times when I skidded, I gently steered the car back into lane. During all that, I still kept repeating prayers in my head and wondered if it was time for me to be baptized.

Almost two hours later, I finally pulled my car onto the street outside my home. I couldn’t pull onto the driveway or into the garage because of the snow. I exhaled a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. I was safe and home at last.