Heigh ho, Fluffy, away!

Those of you who have been following my driving odyssey on this blog know what a mission it was for me to get over my driving phobia. This past October, I finally decided enough was enough. So I enrolled in a driving course and learned how to friggin' drive.

Last week, I took the final and perhaps scariest step -- I bought my very first car. This is she:

FLUFFY!

 

Yes, her name is Fluffy. :p I wasn't sure what to name her, but a friend of mine took care of that for me. No, I didn't choose white because of her name. I was between red and white and just decided the white looked better on the Mazda 3 hatchback.

I can't describe how good it feels to drive. Words like "liberating," "amazing," and "eeeeeeeee" come to mind. Yes, I know the last one isn't really a word. But still. It describes how I feel quite aptly. :D

I promise to get back into blogging. Scout's honor. As soon as I finish enjoying the hell out of my new car, that is. In the meantime, fill me in on YOU. Let me know how you're doing in the comments!

Drive.

So today was my third driving lesson -- since I hadn't met with my instructor as of last Wednesday, my instructor decided to take me driving for two hours (!). I was nervous at first and a little shaky, but he took me around my neighborhood for a few minutes to allow me to warm up and then I was fine.

He took me to the parking lot where the driving school does their license exam and ran me through the different steps of the exam -- parking, making left and right turns, and making a three-point turn. I did well on all of these. Next he took me to a nearby grocery store with a much larger parking lot and had me practice parking in different parking spaces, some of them quite narrow. I was able to park well in all of them, no problem. I think I amazed myself more than him!

Near the end of the exam, he had me drive to a local Cuban restaurant called La Carreta where we stopped for an impromptu coffee break. He chatted about his life -- his past relationships and the jobs he's had, and what he's learned from all of these experiences. He is an older Cuban man, someone who works as a nurse during the day and a driving instructor in the afternoon/evening. He has a very calm demeanor and very kind, wise eyes. His patience has been instrumental in allowing me to get over my insecurities as a driver.

After we left La Carreta, he took me to a nearby residential street where I spent the last hour practicing left and right turns and three-point turns again. He ran me through the paces over and over until I was performing them seamlessly, without much instruction or guidance on his part.

When the lesson was over and I was back home again, I asked him how I did, and this was his response -- I did perfectly and I'll be fine to drive by the end of the week. I couldn't believe it. I left the car feeling like I was walking on air.

I'm so happy -- what once seemed so insurmountable, this phobia of mine of driving, has become instead an inner confidence. This experience has shown me that there is nothing I can't accomplish, so long as I put my whole heart and mind to the task.

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