By Jazlyn Baptiste

I am finally one step closer to hitting a milestone that once was so tantalizing. My heartbeat speeds up, and my hands feel clammy as my instructor reassures me. Fifteen mph felt like 100 when I slowly drove for the very first time. This summer I am finally worked on obtaining my license and I hope to earn it by the end of the year. 

Growing up in New York City, I knew that I didn’t need to be as reliant on driving. I always had the option of convenient public transportation in my future; until I didn’t. My plans of going to a high school I had previously looked at in Queens were ruined because I had moved to Long Island right before my freshman year of high school started. Stores, restaurants and places were no longer within walking distance, but a drive away. I suddenly couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without being driven there. During high school, one situation piled on to the next, and I wasn’t able to start driver education like my peers. It seemed like everyone had already gotten their license early. This disappointment worsened as the months went by. Every step felt insurmountable until I slowly inched my way forward. I had finally got my permit the summer I graduated from high school.

I sought out others who were in a similar situation. Speaking to peers and family who didn’t have their license yet or got theirs later in life has helped me. Everyone has a different experience. Some people told me they got their license in their late 20s and 30s, or they didn’t have anyone to teach them so they had to figure it out themselves, or they have a fear of driving, while others may never be able to drive. By stepping outside myself and hearing other people’s experiences, I learned that these milestones look different for everyone and they do not have an age limit. This July, I finally had the confidence to book my own lessons and learn to drive with an instructor. I’m so glad that I did. Although my family wasn’t able to teach me to drive, having these lessons individually with an instructor from a driving school has been immensely reassuring. I can finally get tips and tricks on how to drive and, better yet, pass my road test. 

This summer has been a lot of things for me as I improve and broaden my horizons. I realize how to take things one small step at a time. The new semester is something that I look forward to as I’ll try to continue to take things one step at a time.