Ok, I know this is gonna sound weird, but this is for me a huge accomplishment. Probably the greatest one in a very long time.
I am about to turn 28 and I just passed today on my driving test and got my very first driver's license. Ever. And yes, I live in California, to be more precise, Orange County.
How I was able to survive these past 2 and a half years in Orange County without a car, only I know.
Back in Brazil, or even in Portugal, either someone in my family or my friends would drive me around all the time. Worst case scenario, there was always public transportation, or taxi cabs in emergencies such as leaving a shopping center carrying lots of shopping bags.
Here in Orange County... I have no family, the few friends I have don't really live close by and as for public transportation... well, the closest bus stop to the house where I used to live was about 1 hour walking from home. And there was maybe 1 bus per hour with a very short and strange route. If you wanna take a cab from a shopping center or a mall, there are none outside. You have to have a number and get a real physical address so they will pick you up within the following 30 minutes.
Boyfriend and I bought an older Toyota Corolla 1 week after we got here, but even so, he had to drive me around everywhere... I hated waking him up to take me to work. Now I can just leave and let him sleep in. We'll have to juggle with one car only though, hopefully until the end of the year we'll have bought our second car.
The big deal here is that up until the beginning of this year, I was terrified of driving. When boyfriend or my sister were driving, I'd sit in the passenger's seat and be a good co-pilot (at least I think so), and I can see everything around... but when I sat in the driver's seat... I just blocked. I could see nothing, I had no perspective. The car was such a huge intimidating monster.
Boyfriend started taking me out to drive in Brazil, but I only felt comfortable after a few weeks driving here.
I'm pretty confident driving now, considering my fear before... but it truly is a big relief to finally get a driver's license!
I'll probably write a post later about the exams, since they were very marking experiences. Await...
Congratulations!! I had a real stress passing my test too so can empathise. The world awaits you! x x
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your driver's license!
ReplyDeleteMay traffic never hold you up, May your gas tank not run dry, May all your lights be green ones...May the miles fly safely by!
BTW, thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment! :-)
Congratulations :). I am learning to drive at the moment. Its scarrrrrrrry going on the really busy roads
ReplyDeletexo
@Moggalicious: thaaaaanks... i actually did hear from a lot of people that they only passed the 3rd time around... kinda comforted me, but it wasn't supposed to be this hard!!!
ReplyDelete@Dutch donut girl: such great prayer, hope i really do get all those blessings!!!! lol
@Courtney: it really is scary in the beginning, you'll get used to it as time goes, BELIEVE ME. i used to be terrified, i didn't even know how to make a curve lol
A-ha! Congratulation for your driving license achievement :) I got it few months ago too (only that I am not 28 yet, haha) it does make me feel good, haha... I couldn't stop staring at it, haha.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am Tiara btw :) found this blog and it interest me soo... hello! :D
@Little Miss Tiara: I felt like the LATEST bloomer in the world, i was probably one of the only people my age who couldn't drive... hope you go long ways with your license too!!!! :D
ReplyDeleteOOOH!!! yay!!! congratz!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so behind reading your posts!!! grr...
funny, I think the first time I was on your blog, I've read the post about you taking the test, and then you told me you failed it... hahaha! So now I'm extra happy!
are you going to buy yourself a nice car now?
*loves*
o louco! até Courtney comentando aqui!
ReplyDeletemeu, eu não sabia que qualquer um poderia clicar no meu ícone do sitemeter e ver as estatísticas do meu blog... =O
Ps: parabéns pela carta de novo! Mas não se esqueça: é PROVISÓRIA!
huahhahau
hey hun!how's it going?i'm not getting your updates in google reader, this is so weird. just thought i'd let u know.
ReplyDeletecongrats on your license :)
i still haven't got mine yet. i must be the only one among my friends who hasn't but to be honest i'm not very motivated to get it, i feel important getting ppl to drive me around haha, kidding..
anyway, have a nice weekend
*hugs*
@Toothfairy: i remember!!! it really was the first time u visited me, i was b*tching about becky, my nasty examiner. i already had a car, just needed the license... lol. but i'm thinking of getting a second car before christmas!!!
ReplyDelete@robert: nao é provisória naooooooo!!!! eu só não vou saber dirigir aí no brasil... hauhauhau.
@Manju: i haven't been updating much anyways, i'll try to be better this week :)
i used to think like u before too, i could get rides, it was ok... but after moving to california... it's a matter of life and death to have a license!!!!!! hehehe
congratulations!!! that's a huge accomplishment. i used to be afraid of driving too, but eventually got used to it.
ReplyDeletehopefully you won't have people bugging you for rides now. ;)
I'm turning 43 this year and I still have not gotten around to getting my driving license either in the US or the UK, so used to public transport nowadays.
ReplyDeletehuh did I miss out on something? what stalker are talking about?!
ReplyDelete@Erica: lol, i don't think i'll mind giving rides... i've taken soooooooo many in the past years, i owe that to the world LOL. actually i already have scheduled 2 rides to the airport for grandma and some friends ;)
ReplyDelete@Mik: ugh, i know UK is pretty good with public transportation, but i don't know how seattle is... but believe me, when i came here my cousin told me to get my driver's license and i said "i've lived 25 years of my life without one, i think i can manage"... NOT! Orange County is very bad regarding pt...
@Toothfairy: i'm thinking of writing a post about her... ;)
hey were are you?! :P
ReplyDelete*loves*
congratulations from Sweden! :-)
ReplyDeletedid you take off and go on a road trip after you got your license?? coz you've done a real disappearing act here ;P
ReplyDeleteHi Lilize,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations from Brazil!
By the way, I'm going to San Francisco in October and do you know if it is possible to use my Brazilian license to drive there?
Cheers:)
Thank you for the helpful hints!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to stay there for a month and I don't know yet if I will rent a car.
But now I know what I have to do in this case.
By the way, your blog ROCKS!!!!!
My computer was attacked by a virus and when i bought it, i missed the drivers
ReplyDelete