Independence

My sister came to visit me on the weekend. On Saturday we went out for lunch and to see a show, and of course to shop, and then we spent the evening chilling out at home. On Sunday we went to IKEA – and I drove.

I recently got back in touch with my driving instructor and arranged two lessons. The first was to help me with hill starts and teach me how to reverse park into a bay, and the second was motorways (which you may also know as freeway, highway…expressway? ). The former was just brushing up on things I already sort of knew, but the latter was completely new. I was terrified that lesson, so afraid I would do something wrong and get hooted at or cause an accident. Ever since I got my licence people have been telling me that motorway driving was easier than normal driving but I couldn’t believe them. I was scared and then the longer I put it off the more scared I became. Then I spent a week driving my coworker home as his car was out of service and at the end of it he said my driving was ok. Having that reassurance from someone who has no motive to compliment me was the boost I needed. I contacted my instructor and I went out on the motorway. And it was fine, it went well even. It helped that it was a Sunday and very quiet, probably, but it turned out to be nowhere near as awful as I expected. It was mostly tiring – there was so much to concentrate on and a lot to take in.

But since then I hadn’t had the courage to go out again. So I asked my sister to help me out since she was at mine. Thankfully she agreed. And, she was a patient instructor with me. There was more traffic, but it was still fine. We made it without incident. (Sadly I couldn’t show off my new ability to reverse into a bay as it was too busy but oh well. One thing at a time is enough!)

I think, and I say this very tentatively, I’m really doing ok with this driving thing. My confidence is growing all the time. I’ve even been able to go out and learn new skills. And I’m actually kind of loving it. Like, I still dislike driving but I just love the independence it gives me. Like I feel about plane travel- the process isn’t fun, but it’s incredible the ability to get from A to B like that. Someone once told me I needed to hurry up and get my licence because nothing beats being able to get in your car and go wherever you like and they were SO RIGHT. Public transport has some benefits, sure, but I can’t bring myself to miss it. I feel my world expanding beyond bus routes and timetables and it’s amazing. I can go anywhere, I can choose when I leave, I can control my environment within my car (no more being stuck on smelly, humid yet cold buses !) I can take luggage! As much luggage as I want, not just as much as I can carry/reasonably fit on the bus without making other people hate me. It’s exhilarating. I couldn’t believe it when I got to IKEA. I’d always have to wait for someone to be available to take me to IKEA, but now I can go myself . Now I can use the motorway I’m hoping to finally free myself of public transport for good. I actually can’t afford it anymore now that I’m 25 and therefore no longer eligible for young person’s discounts (sniff) so I honestly couldn’t have gotten my licence and my car at a better time. I couldn’t have finally gotten on the motorway at a better time.

I feel a little bad sometimes, a little lazy perhaps, but mostly a bit guilty because of how un-eco friendly cars are and I want to care about that. But it’s amazing to have this kind of independence, to gain so much time back, to save so much money. I just love having a car and I am so glad I finally got my licence and said car.