1 In the area that I live in there are a huge amount of flat highways and interstates with high limits and low traffic. I sometimes go out late nights onto them just for practising my driving and navigational skills. I enjoy the adrenaline with the speed, and exiting off the highway to different towns even if most things are closed. Perhaps not the most economical of hobbies.
2 I either turn my phone off or leave it at home while I drive. I like being able to remember the roads and routes without having to use a GPS. I enjoy being able to utilize my spacial awareness. Not bringing my phone around gives a sense of freedom as I can just focus on the time and place where I'm at. Phones are demonic devices with how intrusive they are.
3 I often have my radio blasting on at a high volume as I drive (unless I'm driving in a fair amount of traffic). Radio is nostalgic for me as my mum used to have it playing it in the background of her car when she drove my siblings and I places. I don't use streaming services, and have most of my stuff on CD's or downloaded on mp3's so am highly limited on where I here about new music outside of friends. Radio is often where I hear new songs.
3 My driving skills have improved. I used to be overly passive while driving, doing things like slowing down drastically to find a space to merge and waving people on at stop signs when I was unsure of myself. I don't do those types of things anymore, though I would still rate myself as a slightly below-average driver. I still have haven't had to deal with a lot of urban-type driving scenarios.
4 Edit: From out of state wanting to enjoy our countryside and our roads? Here are Illinois laws to drive responsibly. A fair amount of people here actually die from accidents here every year. Many of those deaths can be attributed to reckless or distracted drivers. Car ownership and driving is a privilege that we are lucky to have in the states, but with that privilege comes important responsibility. Driving has inherent risks, but that's not an excuse to make it riskier.
