Driving!!

Yes! You read the title correctly!! I drove!! By myself!!

And I'm still alive!

Whoa!

OK, so my instructor came to pick me up.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.

I get in the car and he says we are going to a parking lot so that he can see how advanced I am.

I could have saved him the trouble: I've never driven. Not with other cars on the street.

Not with stoplights, turns, pedestrians.

Did I mention NOT with other cars!?!?

Anyway, he had me drive around the parking lot, had me make left and right turns.

Then he said it was time for a break.

I said "Heck, yes!" (Well, I thought it, anyway.)

We went to the QT on University and Extension.

Now University around this intersection is pretty busy, especially around 4 pm.

Chris, my admirable instructor, goes to get a drink and writes up some notes, telling me what I need to work on (i.e EVERYTHING!) then proceeds to tell me that I am now going to drive.

Me!!

By myself!!

He states that I have been doing so good so far and he thinks that I am ready.

After only 1 hour!!

Needless to say, I begin to question his sanity.

So I get behind the wheel and slowly back out.

I get to the sidewalk and realize I have to make a left turn onto University.

A LEFT HAND TURN!!!

I basically had to screw my courage to the sticking place and do it.

So... I did it!

I made a left hand turn onto University!

I then proceeded to drive all the way down to Power, the on to Baseline,

to Lindsay and on Home!

I drove all that way without any mishap!

Crazy!!

OK, I confess.

I did make a small mistake right when I was turning onto my street.

I was making a right hand turn; I stepped on the break, turned the wheel, and instead of stepping on the gas, I just stepped harder on the break!!

I pretty much stopped in mid turn!!

D'oh!

Anyway, besides that, I had no mishaps.

I'm pretty excited to do this.

It's my next big step to independence, to empowerment.

It's a little mind blowing.

Watch out World!