AIBU to wonder why my instructor avoids driving home with me?

[Sarnpark]

I'm curious whether other people do this, or whether I'm reading too much into it.

I have a martial arts instructor who lives in the same neighbourhood as me. I always thought we had a good, trusting and respectful instructor/student relationship.

After a recent one-day training session in a fairly remote location, I set off home first. I'm quite a slow driver. As I pulled into the long road home, I noticed him pull out behind me, probably about 60 metres back. He must have seen it was me, but then he pulled into a lay-by and stayed there. About 25 minutes later he overtook me on the motorway, driving at around 80 mph.

I've also noticed that after our regular training sessions he rarely seems to end up driving home at the same time as me. He'll either leave quickly before I do, or wait until I've gone and then set off a little later.
We live in the same neighbourhood, so one possibility is that he simply doesn't want me to know exactly where he lives. Another is that he doesn't want to spend the journey following me or have me think he's tailgating me.

Is this something other people deliberately do? Do you avoid driving home at the same time as friends, colleagues or students for similar reasons, or is there another explanation? I am feeling bad that he may think I want to find out his address or thst he thinks I have a crush on him!

AIBU = nothing untoward
IANBU = he is protecting instructor/student boundaries

@Sarnpark you say you’re not going to give up your hobby because “it is only good thing in my life”. If that is true then the answer to managing the all consuming nature of a crush is not to give up your hobby and the other friends you’ve made there but to try and expand other areas of your life and other interests. Dilute this bright spot in your week with other people and other things.

I think he has picked up on something from you, it’s not easy to hide those kind of feelings. He is deliberately keeping a boundary between teacher and friend which is wise of him. You would be best directing your energy away from trying to analyse him and look for meaning in his actions to creating a diverse set of hobbies, interests and friendships.

I expect we'll soon have a post from his wife.

'AIBU - to ask my husband to keep his distance from his obsessed student'

I assumed driving instructor from your title and wondered how you got would get back without them! This is obviously completely different and he's right to think you should stay separate.