The homeschool life

I am now a licensed driver

You read the title. Today I got my drivers license!

I am 19 and that's obviously a little older than most people when they start driving, so let me defend myself really quick.

When I turned 16, I decided that I wanted to get my license as soon as possible. I graduated at 16 (but turned 17 later that year) and used some of my graduation money to get myself through Drivers Ed. The plan was too start in August of 2017, then Brooke decided to audition for a musical, which was quickly followed by another one. So, my Drivers Ed was pushed back until December.

Of course, the classes coincided with Christmas and new years, so I didn't finish until mid-January. When I first got my permit, it was in the dead of winter.

January 4th, 2018.

A very stressful day for me.

Finally, I was done with what was supposed to be a six-week class that was stretched out to almost nine weeks. My Drivers Ed teacher stopped me on the way out of the last class and asked, "Do you want to schedule your drives now?"

It was January. There had been knee high snow on the ground since November. If I have learned anything from my older siblings, it was that you don't want to learn how to drive in the snow. I declined and told him that I would have my dad follow up with him. He smiled knowingly and said he understood, and someone would be reaching out to us within the next couple of weeks.

We had a very long winter and a few weeks turned into a few months (it also didn't help that I had a massive brain fart on the first night of class and scribbled the wrong phone number down on every form they had shoved at me)

Then, I started my first job. On March 23 of 2018, I started working as a receptionist. My sister worked at the same office, so it became so easy to just catch a ride with her to work.

Months passed very quickly and one day I woke up to find that Brooke had also signed up for a Drivers Ed class.

I couldn't let Brooke get her license before me, so I asked dad to contact the teacher to get my remaining five drives scheduled. I had done one in the early spring of 2019 (after they somehow managed to hunt down a phone number for me) and then my teacher went through some health issues and had to retire. Fortunately, a friend from church started working there, so Brooke and I got signed up to start driving with him.

I now worked full time, Monday-Friday 9-5:30, so the only day we could do the drives on was Saturday. With five more drives to do (and he wasn't available every Saturday) and with Brooke really digging in her heels, it was well over two months before I was (finally) officially done with Drivers Ed.

I was now able to get my license.

Somewhere around my fourth drive, I had found a red 2008 PT Cruiser for sale (and got it for an amazing price) so I knew I had to get my license ASAP.

I waited a week for the necessary paperwork to go through, then I went to get my license.

I didn't get it. We went to two different DMV's only to find they were booked up with drives.

I returned the next week, significantly earlier, and was the last drive to be taken out. I sat on a hard chair along the wall and stressed until I felt sick. I had wanted to sneak off and attempt this without anyone knowing, but we had family in town, and we couldn't disappear for hours and not tell them where we were going.

The night before I took practice test after practice test to prepare me. I had a lot of people to face if I messed this up and didn't come home with a license.

As I sat on my chair, the minutes started ticking away and I started wondering when I would be taken back for my written test. I noticed kids coming in and being led off to the computers to take their tests and finally I leaned over to my older sister and asked her to ask the information desk when I would be taking the test. She came back with the good news that since I had a valid permit, I wouldn't have to take a written test. One hurdle down, one more to go.

Three hours passed as I watched name after name being called and led away. All left with a paper copy of their new license clutched in their hands.

All but the one right before me.

She was led sadly out by her mom with the driving instructor's parting words ringing through her head.

"Come back any day except for today."

As you can imagine, this didn't do well for my nerves.

Shortly after, my name was finally called. The driving instructor had me lead him out to my car (That I have fondly dubbed the Phoenix) and checked the turn signals and the brakes.

Finally, he got into the vehicle, strapped in and we were off. The DMV that I went to just happened to be right next to a highway. My worst fear is merging, so you can imagine that highway driving can be a nightmare. To my surprise, and relief, he guided me to a small neighborhood road that I hadn't seen before.

The drive was so simple, definitely not the 65+ mile per hour highway driving I expected. I probably didn't go over 30.

Within 10 minutes I was pulling back into the DMV parking lot where my driving instructor finally shared the good news that I passed.

Triumphantly, I marched back into the crowded lobby and grinned as I gave my sister a thumbs up.

She rolled her eyes. She had spent the past three hours trying to convince me the test wasn't a big deal and to stop stressing.

I stood by the counter and waited for me license to print and marched out with the promise that the hard copy would arrive within the next three weeks.

I was able to return to my family with my head held high.

Now if only my picture had turned out better...