To ask how driving changed your life?

[NotSure1542]

I am currently in the process of learning to drive with great difficulty. I really dislike learning to drive (my instructor is fab, just dread lessons). I’ve failed about four times now and it just gets more heartbreaking each time the examiner tells me I’ve failed. It really is soul destroying (for me, anyway). I live somewhere with very good public transport and my husband drives me around if needs be.

I would love to hear stories about how driving changed your life despite hating learning to drive and failing loads! Thanks

It hasn’t changed my life yet, cos I still can’t drive lol. But it will! I’ve been learning on and off for the next couple of years and determined to stick to it this time as I am retraining and I will need to be able to drive for the job I want.

It's all about freedom to me, being able to get out and about whenever I like. Furthest i've driven (pre DC) was Prague though I did share the driving with DH.

DD passed on her fourth attempt and for her it was just about nerves. She'd had the same examiner each time and same route so we changed test centre (and instructor), bought rescue remedies and she ate a banana on the morning of her last test. Amazingly she finally passed with no minors and one year on she's loving driving.

It took me 5 years of lessons to even get to the point of booking my driving test. I hated driving. Had 4 different instructors over the years. Dreaded every single lesson. Ended up switching to automatic as I just couldn’t get the hang of manual. Finally passed second time.
I didn’t get my own car until about 6 years after I passed. 6 years of not driving! For about a year of having the car I was still really fearful of the roads and only liked to drive places i knew well. I used to think to myself, I don’t know how I’ll ever get confident enough to just get in the car and make a journey without worrying about it for days beforehand. Then suddenly one day something just clicked. Now nothing phases me on the road!
I’ve gone from literally having panic attacks about driving to whizzing around without a care in the world (safely!). I had to just keep forcing myself to go out and drive new places even though I really really didn’t want to.
Oh and I’m still driving automatic, no plans to relearn in a manual!

Driving gives you freedom to travel anywhere you want with ease, at any time you choose so you're not reliant on transport schedules or other people to take you places.

Most of the places I drive to aren't on a public transport route (I like to get out on the moors or around the reservoirs with the dogs).

I wouldn't be able to do my job without the ability to drive either.