Done and dusted (kind of)

Well, my first ever driving lesson is now done and dusted.

It actually felt incredibly strange to be sitting in the driving seat after nearly 40 years of car avoidance. Weeeeeiiiird!!

Fortunately my instructor seems like a nice, ordinary, down-to-earth chap (not like the psycho in Happy Go Lucky, thank the lord) and that made it easier. He started off taking me through all the functions of the car, gas pedal, brakes, clutch, hand brake etc. Actually seemed like rather a lot to remember.

And then after all the requisite explanations...

I MADE MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT DRIVING.

O.M.G. I felt SO nervous. How would I handle controlling this great hunk of metal that surrounded me? How would I manage to manoeuvre my way down the road without smashing into something or someone? I suddenly felt so responsible and the weight of it all was upon me...

Gawd. I am sounding like a bona fide drama queen aren't I (something I've NEVER done before...)

Anyway, I put my foot down on the clutch, changed into first gear, foot off the clutch, down on the gas pedal, turned the steering wheel to the right to pull away from the kerb (yes I forgot to indicate but there was nothing behind me, and it was my first time, right...?) then started to accelerate down the road. The steering wheel felt very strange and my instinct was to hold it straight, but this of course doesn't mean that the wheels were straight and I started to veer off to the other side of the road! Yikes! My instructor quickly grabbed the wheel and put me right. I drove a few hundred yards, pulled over to the left and parked...phew.

How strange it all was.

And my next lesson is next week!