Zen and the art of driving in the dark

In the dark there is the occasional opportunity to drive somehow on the limits of perception and judgement. I'm not mean driving on the edge of sleep more driving on some conscious level that allows a deep and trusted automatic pilot to take over. This is night time motorway driving at it's best and it can be a surreal and rewarding experience. The miles and the road clicks slip by, the constant speed and rhythm propel you into a driving mind state quite unlike anything else. At some point you will tire and become aware of some seat discomfort, a stiff leg or and itch and the spell will break. Then it's back to normal controlled driving, more muddy thinking and an anxious wait for a dark hot coffee at the next service station.