get my driver's license

AND I PASSED FIRST TIME!!!

With just 4 minors for speed, control (I stalled on a hillstart) and traffic signs, whatever that meant. Happy happy girl! :’)

It feels weird marking this goal as done as it’s been floating around for the past year and now I’ve finally completed it. I’m a fully-fledged driver for the rest of my life!

Tuesday 13th October, 11.21am

My mums Fiat Panda to be precise. I went out in it this evening with my dad and stalled about 7 times – three times at the same T-junction, twice at a roundabout and twice in a box junction. In my driving instructors Renault Clio I can hear and feel the ‘biting point’ and know when to be accelerating so that I don’t stall nor rev my engine. In the Panda however there is none of this, hence my record-breaking number of stalls. Other than this, I did good! Hoping to take my test next month, October at a push, and now I have £1000 in my savings account I’m on the hunt for an affordable car with affordable insurance.

In my last lesson I became completely comfortable with roundabouts and changing lanes, did some more bay parking and learnt how to reverse left around a corner which I nailed first time. I’ve also mastered 3 point turns and how to down-gear appropriately so I’m not stalling anymore. I’ve made it up to 70mph and fifth gear and I’m feeling pretty good. I need to do learn reversing right round a corner and parallel parking, but I’m hoping to be loose on the roads in October!

I PASSED!

because I didn’t wanna wait a whole month for my next lesson. After ringing up and getting quoted anything from £35 to £45 for 2 hours, I was ready to give up after I called the last name on my list. Long story short, she knows my instructor and he’d asked her to give lessons to any of his students for his prices, and £30 for 2 hours is good stuff. So I have another lessons with this lady called Cath at 11.30am on Saturday!

EDIT: She is a mirror nazi and I stalled about 400 times, but I feel like I’m learning it all properly. We went almost straight out onto roads and it confirmed I really need to get the hang of gentle breaking and not borderline emergency stops ;)

Granted I stalled twice in two hours, but I was out on proper roads with real traffic, parking, reversing, turning – and I loved every single second of it! I can take off as smoothly as anything, change gears like second-nature and I’ve already visited 50mph, country roads, big roundabouts and the irritating speed bumps on my road. Gavin, my instructor who lives three doors down, said I could be ready to take my test in about 4 months, seeing as it’ll be almost another month until I see him as he’s on holiday for a fortnight and booked up before then. Seeing as that was my target anyway, I’m a happy girl :)

Sunday 28th June, 11am – 1pm.

Tuesday 7th July at 9am, the soonest possible date I could have it and coinsidently a day off work!

• Book theory test
• Pass theory test first time
• Aim for at least 2 hours a week
• Book driving test
• Pass driving test first time
• Take a Pass Plus course

Optimistic? Maybe.