A year ago today...

I just realized that today is December 1st. Well, I didn't JUST realize that, but I just realized that it's been one year since I got in my very first car accident.

Some may not even call it a car accident, I was rear ended, really hard :(

It was just like every other morning and I was driving to work, it was icy and cold out that morning and of course I had run out of the house without a coat. I was driving up the usual back road I took every day to work. There was an abrupt stop in the cars ahead of me, and luckily I stopped in time. Unfortunately, the car behind me did not. I heard the most got awful crunch. I must have looked like an idiot, I was blubbering and snotting everywhere. Oh the things that race through your mind when something like that happens.

"Ohmygosh!"
"Crap, my car is totalled, how will I get to work???"
"Who in the hell just hit me?"
"What information do I take down?"
"Should I call the police?"
"Why did this happen?"

To make matters worse, my car door won't open unless you roll the window down and open it from the outside (GHEto, I know, but I just haven't gotten around to fixing it). I had panicked because for a split second I forgot this magic trick you have to preform to open my car and thought I was trapped. I finally gained my composure and stepped out of the car. I was greeted with the woman who rear ended me freaking out about how sorry she was and how awful she felt. At the time I just kept saying over and over again, "I'm fine, it's ok". I was still sobbing when I called Bryan because since I had never been in a car accident and wasn't sure exactly what information was supposed to be exchanged, which is most definitely not an excuse to not know that information by the way, everyone should know what to do in that situation. Bryan asked repeatedly if I was ok and all I could say was that my car was still drivable and my chest hurt. Kind of ironic

I'm thankful for a couple of things that happened next, first, that the police showed up because a passer by had called 911, thankgoodness, he explained what information needed to be exchanged and gave us a police report to fill out. There had been a dog in the road that caused everyone to stop, and apparently that city has had multiple problems with this a person that lived down the road not keeping their dogs chained/fenced up. Second, I'm so glad that my dad always told me to keep a blanket or a coat in my car because like I said I had ran out of the house without one and thankgoodness had one in my car just like I was supposed to. Third, I decided I should probably go to the ER to get my chest checked out because the seat belt tightened against it and had left a bruise, my wonderful mom met me at the emergency room along with my little sister because she was worried. I just needed a hug and someone else to tell me everything is going to be ok. (silly right? I felt like a kid...)

Everything ended up ok, my car got a little banged up, when the car hit me, their car stopped so fast it kind of went under my trunk, if that makes sense. The tail lights suffered a little but the alignment turned out to be ok because remember, it's the little Camry that could. I have a problem letting things go so I was scared to drive that back road for a very long time. I went to massage therapy for a few months after. I was always one of those people that never believed other people when they said, "Oh, I'm in so much pain after getting rear ended..." - NEVER again will I say that. I hurt in the front from the seat belt and the back from the mild whiplash. UGH.

Moral of the story?
Be careful, wear your seat belt, and know what to do if you get in a car accident.

I probably sound like a big whiny baby because I'm sure some of you have endured much worse car accidents, and I am truly, deeply sorry, I'm sure it must have been awful. I would never wish anything of that nature upon anybody. I hope your wounds have healed and that you are back behind the wheel and driving safely again.