Aug 20 2010
Learning to Drive
Last week I decided that I would finally learn to drive. It’s something I’ve avoided for years because I haven’t been desperately in need of a car of my own. I catch buses, walk places, and if desperate my mum gives me lifts. Still, with Isabel now getting older and starting nursery in January (which makes me sad in the pants, but what can I do?) I need to be more independent.
So, I applied for my provisional licence and it arrived mid-week, complete with dodgy fat-faced photo from when I had my passport done at 17. I’ve spoken to a local guy (via e-mail) who does lessons and was supposed to call him today but forgot… err, must remember to sort that tomorrow.
Anyway, yes, 24 and I’m finally going to learn to drive. Woo, go me.
Warning
This post is over 6 months old. This means that, despite my best intentions, it may no longer be accurate. Age, motherhood, experience, loss... these things have all changed me from when this blog was started back in the heady (ha) days of my youth.
As much as I would like to go back and edit 10 years of archives to provide an insight into the 'me' of now — to update coding snippets and revise website advice — it would probably take years to do so (by which point I'd have to start again!) This would defeat the point of keeping these archives anyway.
Please take these posts for what they are: a brief look into my past, my history, my journey.
36 Responses so far
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vroom vroom! look out roads :P
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Whooooosh. Now you can come visit us, rather than the other way round. :P
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Oooh… good luck. I should also start, but I’m still in the "ok well not right now because…" phase. :P
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Hehe you’re early. My mum didn’t learn to drive until she was 36 or 37 and it seems that same is going to be with me. :P
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YAY Jem! Proud of you. :)
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Sound move, insurance will be far cheaper now you’re an old lady as far as these things are concerned!
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Lessons via email? That’s how it’s done these days? :D
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LOL Badly worded blog entries FTW! Re-worded it ;)
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Good for you! Of course, you will pass first time like I did ;) Go Jemmie *cheer*
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My mom in her forties still doesn’t know how to drive. You’re not too late. :)
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I still haven’t learned how to drive. :( I really must get on that. The only time that I really notice how much not driving sucks is on the weekend when I want to get somewhere and the buses run less frequently. Otherwise, I can’t park at school or where I work downtown without paying extortionate amounts, so it’s a better fit to take public transit.
Good luck with it! Let me know how it goes. ;)
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Hehe, good job Jem!
In my province, we can begin driving at 14 so that’s when I started. But, it’s more of a luxury, not something I need.
Some of my cousins don’t have their license and they’re 24-28. You’re on ahead of them!!! ;) -
How tough are the driving exams in the UK? I know in the US they’re as easy as they can possibly be (the written test has been the same for 25 years and you don’t even need to test parallel parking in the driving test) but in places like Germany, for example, they are a lot tougher.
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Woot! A mother, now a driver, eh Jem? What’s next? ;)
All the best and good luck with it!
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Woot! Driving is fun! And not that hard. If it’ll help, you’ll probably learn faster than all the teenagers in the United States, and you’ll have awesome mommy driving skills.
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I couldn’t be 24 and not drive, I’m going to start learning as soon as I turn 17. XD Mainly because I plan to go to uni about 20 miles away and being able to drive means I could at least drive to the train station rather than having to go through bus-train-walk-underground-walk twice every day. Or I could just drive there. Whatever. :L Good luck learning though :)
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We can learn together! :D
Good luck!
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More people should wait anyway. I have a friend who didn’t get her learners permit until 24 too and recently renewed it because it expires after two years. Good luck to you!
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Go you indeed! :D G’luck, I’m sure you’ll have a ton of fun!
Methinks that what with me being in boarding-school in the UK for 3-4 years, and planning to stick around/hop to the states for uni, there’s really no point in me learning to drive. Yet, anyway. So I might just end up not learning until I hit my 20s…much like you, perhaps; albeit under different circumstances. :P
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Go Jem! I’m 24 this year and finally deciding to learn to drive too. I also had the same reasons as you for not needing to drive but now I think I do.
It’s funny how similar I find we are as I read your blog (in a non-stalkerish way), same age, same partners name, same parenting style/beliefs etc -
Have fun driving! :D
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I didn’t learn until I was 18 & even then it was only cause I had to in order to go to college. Take your time. Make sure you comfortable with the process. Remember you all are backwards & drive on the wrong side of the road so it will take longer *wink*.
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Good luck! I’m 22 now and still learning. Am only just getting back into it after failing my test at 18. Dodgy 17-year old photos are, of course, the only way to go.
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I’m proud of you! I swear, considering how brave and confident I am in moving cars, I’ll never learn to drive.
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I actually didn’t seriously start learning to drive until this year (I’m 23, but turning 24 in October). Actually, I have my behind the wheel test tomorrow. Eek! Anyway, it took me awhile to learn to drive because I was afraid of having a collision (and to be honest, at times I still am) and because I always had someone who was willing to drive me around. Eventually, like you, things happened in life that made me realize I need more independence. It makes me happy to know there are so many other people out there who are getting their license at a later age. At what age can you first apply for a provisional license in the UK? In California it is 15, but you cannot get your real license until you turn 16.
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@Monica: Good luck for tomorrow :) I think it’s 17-18 here, not sure of the specific details!
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You can apply for your licence at 16 – "up to 2 months before your licence is due to start." But you can’t drive until you’re 17.
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Oooh how fun! I love to drive! Started driving when I was 18 and have been driving for 5 years now and I love it. =) I rememer when I first learned I was a little scared, but you’ll get the hang of it quick, I’m sure! Good luck and have fun and be safe when driving!
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I just got my driver’s license and a used car. :D I’m seventeen, but my town doesn’t have public transportation, so I kind of need one to get around. Good luck!
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Sounds exciting! Good luck! I’m sure you already have nice places to learn all scoped out. I know I took Andy to different local parks when he learned to drive, and that’s where I went when learning to drive stick shift. Slow traffic, relaxed curbs, and speckled with parking lots. Also, empty mall parking lots on Sunday mornings were good too. Best wishes!
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I’ve heard that stick shifts are used almost exclusively in Europe– is that true? I can’t imagine having to learn to drive on a stick shift; it’s hard enough without having to worry about shifting gears manually. Anyway, good luck!
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@Yui: yes, that’s true. :)
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To be fair I’m a few months off 25 myself and still don’t have a license ^_~ I have, however, had 3 driving permits that I let expire because I didn’t care enough to actually take the behind-the-wheel test – but hey, I’m a student in my mid-twenties and there’s a bus that goes nearly from my doorstep to my school. Even when I was in a place where we had no public transportation I didn’t bother, mainly because going places is over-rated :P
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Good luck with it. :) My mum has only got her restricted (In NZ it’s learners (Drive with someone else who has a full), restriced (Can drive alone, only between certain hours) and Full, who has full use of a car.. between whatever hours.. can carry passengers etc..
And she’s just turned 40. :) We just used to walk everywhere (the town was to small for buses) or get rides with people who where going to the same place. xD
I hope it goes well. Driving is scary, I still don’t have the hang of it.. and if I haven’t had coffee.. I get a little road rage.. xD
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Oooh there’s no going back! Once you’ve got a car you wonder how the hell you survived before hand :D
Top tip: If you don’t get on with your instructor SWAP HIM/HER. I stuck with one I didn’t like and it took me AAAAAGES to learn as a result cos he kept kicking my confidence. Once I learnt to drive it was about a year before I got a car so I took refresher lessons. New guy was SOOO much nicer, gave me tonnes of confidence and I wish SO much that I had swapped the first guy earlier!
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That is totally awesome! Never too late to learn a new skill, you’ll love the newfound freedom too.
