Out of My Way

So this actually occurred about a year ago, but the recent thought of it that prompted me to start this blog.  I was assigned to work at one of our hotels in the downtown Des Moines area.  On weekends I would drive home, so I made the roughly 5 1/2 hour trip quite regularly.  One particular morning, I left the hotel very early, say 5 AM.  I was basically in auto pilot mode, and around 10 AM I decided I needed a Starbucks to help carry me through the rest of the trip.  I was in luck because there is a Starbucks at the Dekalb oasis so naturally I exited, parked. went in, and ordered me Grande Americano with room.  Still in auto pilot mode, I got back in my car and made my way back onto the highway.  It was not until I went through a toll that I though, hmmmm, I really thought I was done paying tolls, that's weird.  But I kept going.  And then I read a sign that said "Birth Place of Ronald Reagan, next exit" - or something very similar.  Then I thought, hmmmm, I swore I read that sign earlier, but I've made this trip so many times, maybe I'm just confused.  A few more miles went by and I thought, hmmmmm, where are the signs for Aurora, I definitely should have seen them by now. And at that moment, I realized I had gotten back on the highway going the wrong direction.  Let me just say that I was not going the wrong direction for a few minutes or miles, NO, it was nearly 1 1/2 hours the wrong direction!!!  This was probably the most upset I've ever been inside a vehicle.  I will also share that the new Task Force Manager recently assigned to Des Moines made the same mistake, but for only 20 minutes.  Honestly, that particular rest stop makes it very easy to make this mistake.  These days I pay very close attention when getting back on highways.