Anyone with a creative imagination can picture my driving so far. It began, white-knuckled, at about 10 to 15 mph, jolting, jerking, sharply turning, down a curvy country road. Woe betide the situation in which I should have to drive faster than 25, meet another vehicle coming down the road, use my brakes on a curvy down slope, turn on windshield-wipers or turn signal, or lay eyes on a logging truck. Can't remember the most exhausting part of learning to drive? The hysterical giggling.
Yeah. Hopefully you're starting to get the picture.
Well, things have improved somewhat (though I've still never driven under more "normal" town circumstances.) I am able to go about 30, maybe 35 on a rare straight area. I guide the big, red 15-passenger beast around curves with grace and aplomb (most of the time... heh, heh...), as long as you don't ask me to go too fast. ;) I can park, back up—sort of; I even backed down the massively sloping driveway! I passed a loaded logging truck the other day.* And I only scared my Dad at the end of that trip by flying into the church parking lot... again! I've driven in the rain (Ha, T!) although I guess I was only going 25-ish, and I used the windshield-wipers without having to stop in the middle of the road!
But the big accomplishment...
I have mastered the social aspects of driving in the country. Two girls, one in a large red van, another in a large green van meet each other on a road... and, yes, I properly executed the Friendly Country Wave!!! Tasha just invites that! ;) The very next day, when driving home from Ladies' Bible Study with Mom, I spotted a bunch of kids we have met up on their family's hill... what d'ya do?? HONK! Just a friendly "bip-bip." I did not run off the road, neither did I halt!
So, while I would curl up and die on a freeway, and go back to white-knuckling it in a small town, I am improving at driving home from church. ;)
*Uh... just a little disclaimer: the logging truck was parked on the shoulder. ;)
