Today was Nicholas’ first official day behind the wheel for the first two of six required hours of check rides before he can apply for his learner’s permit from DMV and experience the joys of graduated licencing.
To say he was more than a little bit nervous was a grand understatement. Very excited to be taking yet another step toward adulthood to be sure but very nervous just the same.
Truth be told, he has had a couple of times in the left seat prior to today but that’s a very different proposition to two hours of going through some of the more harrowing roads and intersections (and the joys of people tailgating you mercilously!) that East and Southeast Raleigh have to offer DURING RUSH HOUR.
New Bern Ave (even past Rogers and the DQ he works at!), Poole Road, Raleigh Blvd…she gave him the works.
Two hours later, you couldn’t have imagined the 180-degree turn his confidence has taken. It probably helps that the Impala is much smaller than my Traverse and that I’m not yelling at him desperately trying to get him out of the wrong lane of travel where we’re unsighted behind a small hill when the lizard part of his brain is saying “I don’t want to #@#&*ing move one inch!” (but once we got past that, he actually did well going down the street and turning round to park!).
You’ve got this, Nick! And I couldn’t be prouder of him if I tried… 🙂