JP’s Traveling Good Luck Charm

Now I bet you're probably asking yourself, "What in the hell IS that thing?" Well my friends allow me to introduce you to my friend "Sumo Buddha". Sumo Buddha came to me as a random gift on my birthday going on six years ago! He was presented to me by my wonderful Grandmother Claudia. My Grandma has an awesome sense of humor, that only gets better as we both grow older. 

So why the hell am I talking about this little guy? Well that's because he's become my own personal Saint of Safe Travel. I'm originally from Casper, Wyoming, after high school I moved to Bozeman, Montana where I lived for nine years before moving here to wonderful Billings, Montana. Now for any of you who have traveled between Montana and Wyoming, you know how tricky those roads can become at almost any time of year, but especially during the winter. I lost count of how many "white-knuckle" moments I've had on those interstates. But for the last six years of those, Sumo Buddha has been on my dashboard through every single excursion. He's seen three different cars and thousands of "wiper miles".

Is is it superstitious? Yes. Does it make me feel more comfortable when I'm driving? Hell yeah! And that's why Sumo Buddha rides with me no matter where I go. He rolls with me whether it's a short trip to the Walmart or if were embarking on a cross-country excursion in search of the Ultimate Fish Taco while listening to Wu-Tang in full effect!

Because as anyone who's driven in Montana long enough knows that this.

Can turn into this, at the drop of a hat.

So there's my kooky, and strange driving tradition. But I know I'm not the only one. Montana folks spend a lot of time on the roads. Do you have any traditions or rituals that you have when you're out driving? Tell me about them in the comments!