Driving Miss Gowen

...or Miss Gowen driving.

Matthew's company finally got back to him with the authorisation for me to drive his car. So he thinks I should start practicing (probably because he's sick of driving me everywhere). He made me drive home from my orthodontist appointment in Kiddlington, which isn't just the next town over. I agreed on one condition, that I could avoid the scary Oxford roundabout.

I didn't do so well. It felt like I had lost all depth perception being on the other side of the car! It's difficult looking over your left shoulder to reverse and shifting gears with the other hand. I think Matthew was inching away from his side because he kept saying, "would you move over, you're going to hit the curb!" And I did. I hit the curb! I don't think the person driving the BMW behind was too impressed with my driving either. Even though I was going about 20 mph below the speed limit, he kept his distance. But there was no way I was going to drive 60 mph down that country road.

It felt like it was my very first time driving again. I was really nervous. Every time we came to a roundabout, I said "what do I do, what do I do?" I hated every minute of it. It felt like I was driving a tank on a sidewalk!

I thought I was determined that I could do this, so I took the car myself that night to my friend's in town. (I hope no one saw me trying to reverse in that drive, you would have thought I was driving a tank!) But now that I think about it, I don't want to drive. I never liked it to begin with and it's just too difficult here. I know Americans drive here all the time on holiday. But not me, I'll hit something! The roads are too damn small and people drive too damn fast for me.

For now I think I'll let Matthew do the driving. It's good having a chauffeur.