Living in Bristol is pretty sweet. We love it here, but transitioning to life in the ‘burbs after eight years of city centre living has been quite an adjustment. Exeter may be little more than a glorified town, but our home was right in the thick of it.

We could walk to the main shopping area in under ten minutes and we were a stone’s throw from Cathedral Green in one direction and the picturesque quayside in another. Our prime location also meant we were within easy reach of a multi-screen cinema, a swimming pool, major supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, a butcher, baker, greengrocer and fishmonger. Everywhere we ever needed to be was a leisurely stroll away, and if it wasn’t at least the central bus station was only down the road. I like walking and I did plenty of it in Exeter.

Things are a little different now and for the first time in my life I have an urge to drive. Only problem is, I can’t. I don’t know how. I’ve never learnt.

Growing up in the capital, I didn’t ever feel the need. For all its flaws, London’s public transport system is pretty awe inspiring. You can climb on a tube in deepest, darkest East London and slowly but surely make your way across the sprawling metropolis to a far flung destination in leafy West London. You can travel from one suburb to another with relative ease. Sure, there’s traffic and commuters and strikes, but London’s transport system makes sense. There is logic and order amidst the chaos and I’ve always enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction that comes from finding a route across the city.

So, at 30 years and 5 months of age, I am unable to drive. The funny thing is, my parents generously gave me lessons for my birthday when I was 17. I never claimed them though, and when my younger sister came of age four years later, my parents bought them back and gave them to her. She’s been driving for years now.

To be honest, the thought of learning fills me with dread. I am a resolute passenger and an accomplished pedestrian, but I have never paid attention to what a driver does and I don’t have the first clue about how to operate a car. Beyond putting the key into the ignition, I’m clueless. I’m confident I’ll be practically useless and I pity the instructor that ends up with me as their pupil.

That said, I think I’m finally ready to rise to the challenge. So great is my frustration at being unable to just bundle my children into a car and head off towards any given destination, I’ve found the drive {pardon the pun} to learn. I’m terrified, but ready. Those of you local to Bristol might just want to stay off the road for a while.

When did you learn to drive? Any words of encouragement for me?

Love Audrey xxx

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