Driver's Education

Driver's Ed, more like rip out my brain and drag it across molten concrete because that is how I have felt all week having to learn to drive. Most unfortunately for me, though, the class lasts two weeks, so I'm only half way done with the torture. The first day wasn't actually half bad! I went to the Health and Safety council building where the class was, and pretty much just filled in a worksheet from 8 am to 1 pm. Very low stress, low key (if not incredibly boring). No, the fun really started on Tuesday, when I actually had to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. I was tasked with driving around in a white Pontiac, my driving instructor sitting in the passenger seat, and all I had to do was not get both of us plus the other student sitting in the backseat killed. Sounds easy, right?

Wrong. 

Very, very wrong. Despite the fact that I have had my learner's permit since February, and have been practicing driving a lot since then, I still did a miserable job driving the first day (and the days to follow, might I add). I would like to blame children's television partly for my faults, though I really know that's a bit of a stretch. Really, though, didn't we all think we learned a little something from all the episode's of Spongebob where he was in Ms.Puff's class? And I'll be damned if you try and tell me that The Suite Life of Zack and Cody didn't teach me that the technical term for the "PRNDL" is 'gearshift'. What stinks though is if I try and explain all this to my driving instructor, I doubt he would take me seriously. 

"But... I'm really not a bad driver! I'll have you know I watched the episode of Spongebob where he wrote an essay about What Not to Do At a Stoplight!"

"What, that doesn't even make any... DEAR LORD, EYES ON THE ROAD HANNAH!!"

If that conversation went any other way than this, I would be completely and utterly shocked. 

Luckily on Wednesday, I got a day to recover. Back in the classroom from 8 to 1 again, I was able to sit back and relax as the teacher played movie after movie about proper driving techniques. A guest speaker also came and talked to us about organ donation, and I quite liked her. She had nice spunk. 

But like all good things, they must come to and end eventually, and on Thursday I was back on the road. Pretty much what happened was instead of driving around residential areas like we had on Tuesday, my instructor made me go out on the highway, and believe me when I say I was NOT ready for that. It sort of came like a punch in the gut, with me happily driving along neighborhood streets when all of a sudden we were on the merge ramp leading up to the highway and the instructor was yelling "FOOT ON THE GAS, HANNAH, YOU GOTTA SPEED IT UP". I think I more stressed then than I had been in a long time. I felt like I had reached the level 'Moonview Highway' on Mario Kart, and cars were coming at me from all different directions. I managed to hold back my tears as the instructor kept yelling, and I am unsure whether or not the other student sitting in the back seat was snickering at my distress, or horking snot back into his nose. 

I really could go on about Thursday, but I'll just leave it at that. Friday was my day off, so Josalyn and I spent some quality time together (which I actually plan on posting about later because it was amazingly fun?!?). But last night I was really upset about having to drive again today. It turns out driving today wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be, but I had to drive on the interstate, which was even worse than the highway and I probably almost peed myself about four times. After the interstate we headed to downtown, and that was especially terrible because of all the construction, and we had to parallel park. 

There was so much more to my week than this, but I think I'll be done writing about it for now. I cringed just bringing back these fresh memories to write about. Maybe I'll write a reflection post for week two? Maybe not? All I know is that if I fail my driving test next Saturday I am going to go insane. 

Goodbye for now, my lovelies.