Shut Up and Drive

Today I’m finally starting driving lessons. And I am TERRIFIED.

The first and last time that I was behind the wheel was five years ago, when I was living in Phoenix. It was the first time that I’d ever lived somewhere that you really need a car to get around. And it was a major shock. I was lucky enough to have wonderful roommates who were constantly driving me around. But still, it was difficult to have to depend on other people for rides all the time… or to risk heat exhaustion walking myself around.  I would be dying for a NY Times and a frappucino, but the nearest Starbucks was about two (hot, dry) miles away. And sure, I walked it many times, but it was definitely unpleasant.

So one day my roommate Joe tried to teach me how to drive. We took our trusty old Nissan, Ms. Grace, to a completely empty parking lot. I just knew it was going to be great.

And it was a disaster. The car would inch forward, and I would get nervous, screech, and slam down on the brakes.  I would try turning a little bit to the left, get nervous, screech, and slam on the brakes.  I’d see a person walking three blocks away, get nervous, screech, and slam on the brakes.

Disaster.

Luckily for me, Joe is the nicest guy in the world and was way more patient with me than I deserved. But still, there was only so much screeching and braking I could subject him to.  It just wasn’t worth risking our friendship and/or permanently harming Ms. Grace’s frail old brakes.  So that was the end of driving lessons, and it was back to sweaty walks to Starbucks for me.

Fast forward five years, and I’ve finally decided to brave it again. I know that driving will help me to feel more adult and more independent.  So many things would be easier - I’d actually be able to buy as many groceries as I want without worrying about how I’ll carry them home, run out for lunch if I want to without depending on a coworker, rent a car on vacation… And maybe most importantly, where I live now I have to take a BUS to get to Starbucks. That’s just not working for me.  Imagine one day being able to drive myself there anytime I want a latte… the world would be my oyster.

But first, I have to face the terror of lessons again. Hopefully by now I’ve grown up enough to refrain from screeching at the instructor? I guess we'll see!