I wasn't a big fan of the 'Engine Start Stop' button when we bought the car in 2014. I always preferred twisting the key in its slot and feeling the engine roar to life. The sensory and tactile feedback of that action was instant satisfaction when you crave to drive. It didn't make too much of a difference in my little Hyundai Sedan though and I learnt to live with it. Soon I found it convenient and the new thrill was pressing that button with the foot on the brake. It signalled the beginning of a trip. Sometimes it was 5 minutes and sometimes it was 5 hours. We drove on streets, highways, near beaches, inside forests, through crowded cities, desolate countrysides and dirt tracks. 

The pandemic changed all that. Suddenly, the only place to go to was work. That was done on my little scooter as my workplace was only 5  minutes away. I still used the car for late night workplace visits and some occasional short drives. As the first wave started dying away, we made a few essential road trips to visit families and a wedding. They were not exactly vacations. We avoided hotel and resort stays and that meant no beach vacations or wildlife safaris. No holiday trips. 

Today, we went for a 15 minute night drive in the rain as a family, just to be bundled again into the car and enjoy the road. It was about 1 month since we did that. As I gazed fondly at the Engine Start Stop button, memories flooded back. I know we will go on long trips again, but I wish it were sooner than later. Waiting to fill the tank up and drive away. 

Till then....

Note: All photos on my Samsung M31S by me