I love driving at night because the roads are entirely empty and everything is still but you.

There's no pressure to drive fast or drive slow. Even at 25mph, you're going to feel like scissors gliding through the fabric of the night. Traffic lights watch you in their cyclical commands of stop, start, and slow - a process you'd narcissistically assumed was for your benefit. What a reality check to see those luminous sentries issuing orders to an empty intersection just the same!

(lol forgive my purple prose y'all, I'm having fun writing something that isn't code)

I'm not surprised that this post resonated with so many people. I think there's something that connects people like us (read: people who naturally washed up on the shores of this niche forum) , some shared solace we take when the rest of the world melts away. I'd bet that most people willing to pour so much of their mental and emotional bandwidth into an online community can relate to the idea, for one reason or another

It's solitude but it also felt like an absolute escape from literally everything. I figure the best way to deal with it for me is to make more time for wandering thoughts.

I completely agree with your thoughts here, nil. I think we could all allow more time for wandering thoughts! I used to do this in the shower until I became concerned for my water bill and the rapidly depleting aquifer underneath me. Maybe make it a goal for a week, see how it treats you?