Getting Over A Speed Bump

Well.  I did it.  I drove the car.  No Italians were killed.  The clutch didn't fall off.  And the stress only took about five years off my life. 

Let me give you a little back story:  I came to Italy not having the slightest clue how to drive a stick shift.  I got to Italy and realized Italians do not really have the slightest clue how to drive in general.  To me, that's pretty much a recipe for disaster.  I learned how to drive our car in a back parking lot on post.  I should probably mention that any time the left side of my body has to do anything, it just compeltely makes my brain scramble.  Ambidextrous I am not.  Every time we would practice, I ended up having an anxiety attack or crying...or both, and John Ralph ended up getting frustrated or yelling...or both.  Something about driving that stupid car just got to me. 

So, more or less, I ended up refusing to drive.  I just knew that as soon as I got behind the wheel, something disastrous would happen.  I had pretty much convinced myself that right after I sat in the front seat and turned the key, all hell would break loose and it would be game over for me and the rest of the country. 

Now, let's rewind to this past weekend.  John Ralph and I were invited to another couple's house for a late lunch grill out.  We were having a good time, shooting the breeze with the other people, eating some good food, John Ralph was drinking a few beers.............(you see where this is going?)

Let's just say I ended up having to drive home.  All the way from a suburb of Vicenza, into downtown, and to a parking spot near our apartment.  A drive that consisted of starts and stops, slight hills, merging lanes, and pedestrian cross walks.  So pretty much my WORST NIGHTMARE. 

Once we were within walking distance of our apartment, I pulled into the first parking spot I found and took a breath for time since I had cranked up the car.  I just kept thinking "I didn't die.  I didn't kill anyone.  I didn't die.  I didn't kill anyone..."  It was pretty relieving. 

After I calmed down a little bit, I realized that I had done a pretty dang good job.  I only stalled out once, and it wasn't even a big deal.  And did I mention I didn't kill anyone?  You might be thinking "Why does she think she would kill someone?"  and if you came to Italy, you would IMMEDIATELY understand.  These people just walk out in front of you like it's their job.  They come within inches of your car and then look at you like you're the crazy person.  So yeah, running one of them over is on the top of my Things That Worry Me While Driving list. 

The more I've thought about it over the last two days, the more I'm able to convince myself it's not that bad.  Who knows, I might even grow a wild hair and drive to get groceries this week.  I've made a conscious decision to drive whenever it's the two of us, just so I can get as much practice with John Ralph in the car as I can before deployment.  Hopefully I'll get really good at it, but be ready for me to have a full head of gray hair next time you see me.