First Time Driving

Today I had my very first in-car driving lesson! I was so nervous, my arms were stiff and I could barely breathe. I was in a state of full concentration and a bit of fear too. I walk outside and see a beige Toyota Corolla with an empty driver's seat.

Then I step into the car, and my driving instructor says, in a thick Indian accent.

"Hello! Are you Olga?"

"Yes" I gulp, adjusting my seat and looking around nervously.

"Good weather today huh?"

Of course, it has to be raining during my first driving lesson.

I start off accelerating very slowly, barely putting a toe on the pedal, going a steady 20 km/h. There was not a single car on the main road that did not pass me. Nervous as hell, I make my first right turn and gracefully nudge the curb.

My instructor just tells me to calm down.

After going in a sweet right-turning frenzy through the neighbourhood in the pouring rain, he asks me to drive on Leslie Street, where the driving limit reaches 70 km.

A few cars indeed honked at me, because I must have been one of those very irritating drivers you see on the roads, that drive a little too close to the curb and stop ten metres before the red light.

After only one hour of driving, I was much more confident in my abilities. I am now able to start a car and go down Leslie. It feels great.

:)

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Olga's Poetry & Thoughts

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