Chapter 3: Learning to drive a stick shift [Success or Fail?]

Driving Lesson #2: A picture of us after I stopped crying & Robert said he'd take over driving.

"WHAT?!! No! I don't want to drive there! No, please! I don't want to! I'm not ready!"—Me

 My husband is a very patient teacher & I am a very nervous driver when it comes to learning how to drive a stick shift. Today was my second time driving his car. It started out fine (I cruised around our apartment complex like  pro! Lol) until he told me that I was the one that would be driving us to Costco. Husband say what?!! The thought of driving out on the street with other cars scared me to the core! It scared me so much that I started crying ='/ Yep. True story. I just got sooo nervous! I'm not one of those people that likes "diving into the water". No.... I'm the type of person that likes slowly stepping into the water & getting used to it before going all the way in. All my husband did was laugh & smile at me while constantly saying things like, "Yes honey! You're going to drive us there! You can do it! I know you can. I believe in you! You're just scared but this is what you need to do to practice. Don't worry sweetheart, I'm right here! You can do it!" I tried to convince myself that it was going to be ok if I did drive there, but in the end I just couldn't do it. I was at the gate to leave our apartment complex & just stopped. I couldn't leave! I freaked out... I couldn't stop crying & telling him that I didn't want to do it because I wasn't ready yet. Looking back on it, I'll admit that it is kind of funny & I understand why my husband was laughing. I was just already so embarrassed for crying about this that I kept saying, "It's not funny, Robert. I really don't want to! I'm not ready yet. I'm really scared!.... No, please. " as tears flowed down my face. *sigh* It was pretty emotional! =P After quite a while of us doing this back & forth—me crying & my husband encouraging me—he finally backed down & said that I didn't have to drive us there today & that we could switch seats. *PHEW* I was about to have a mini heart attack! I'm also very glad that I didn't end up tackling the challenge because shortly after we switched seats & were on our way to Costco, it started raining again really hard. The road in front of us was barely visible—that's how hard it was raining. Hopefully driving lesson #3 will go a lot better than today & that I'll be a little more brave! I'm planning on reading up about how to drive a stick shift so I can be more prepared next time. My husband claims that it won't really make a difference because he's there to teach me, but I beg to differ! I don't like having to ask him what to do next every 10 seconds. I feel so clueless when I'm in that drivers seat & completely forget what to do. I'd rather have the book knowledge engraved in my head as best as I can so that I can be ready to apply it to the real thing & put what I read into action! I guess we'll see if it works... Time to start studying! WISH ME LUCK!

Driving Lesson #1: The very 1st time I drove my husband's car! This photo was taken in June & I was so excited about learning how to drive a stick shift! This was a good day because all I had to do was practice how to 'stop & go' around the hotel parking lot. Lol =P  I did stall a few times & every time I did I'd get scared, pout at Robert, & take my hands off of the steering wheel completely forgetting what to do next. My husband of course would just laugh & say, "It's ok, sweetheart! All you have to do is start the car again. Remember that." Thank God he's so patient with me!