Maintaining your grace on the road

“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” - Buddha

So true! But at some point we must arrive someplace- and when we do, we need to exit a car. Ideally, gracefully - no embarrassing flashing of body parts for us!

When getting out of the car, the key is to keep your knees and ankles close together.

• Sit in the seat next to the door you wish to exit out of, sliding to the outer edge of the seat.

• Slowly twirl your body toward the door and firmly place both feet on the ground.

• Place one hand on your skirt to keep it down and closed.

• Use the other hand to gently propel yourself off the carseat. If a gentleman extends his hand, you would thank him and gently take his hand with that hand (the one you were going to use to propel you off the seat) and use it to steady yourself as you exit.

• As you stand up remember not to lean over to much - you want to stand up straight as soon as possible to avoid flashing anyone your chest (if you have a lower cut top on).

• When your hands are occupied holding your skirt down and propelling you up it's hard to hold your pocketbook or clutch. Hence we leave them on the seat as we execute our exit from the car. Gather your belongings after you exit the car - simply turn around and reach back in to retrieve them.

• Lastly, it's important to smooth out your dress or skirt to ensure all is in order. Smile and you're on your way.

Getting back in a car is much easier.

• Lead with your derriere.

• Sit down in the seat. Your feet are still on the ground outside the vehicle.

• Then gently twirl your legs into the car. As we do this we do place one hand on our skirt to keep it down.

• Do not step in the car one leg at a time! Again, ankles and knees are always together.

• Arrange your skirt or dress once you are seated and then you're good to go.

While these are simple steps to follow - they do take a bit of practice so that they become second nature. So if you are venturing out during the pandemic - to work, to the store or even for a quick coffee run - practice these moves. Try to do so gracefully. Don't rush. Be poised. And if you aren't venturing out, you can still practice in your driveway or parking garage.

Have a marvelous week -