My first driving lesson!

It's been seven months (!!!) since I got my learner permit, but I didn't want to start driving lessons just before the winter months, in case there was going to be yet another "ice age", which would then keep me from driving, and I'd have felt like starting all over again.. But now that I feel fairly sure that there's not going to be snow and ice (it's almost May, after all..), it was time to start the lessons!

I'd been in touch with a local driving school, but that was months ago, and they seem to have disappeared since - even the website is gone. So, I checked out some other driving schools online. Butler School of Motoring seemed to have a very good approach, and also lots of great customer feedback on their website and Facebook page, so I emailed them with some questions, and got a phone call on the following day - that was yesterday.

Today, John collected me from home, and we went to the other side of Bray for my first lesson as it was a good place for that - not much traffic (in the afternoon, anyway), and plenty of room as well, unlike here..

I have to say that I am very happy with my choice of driving school! I was quite nervous to be driving on 'real roads' (vs. the empty countryside parking areas where I'd done my previous 10-15 minutes of driving - that was ALL my driving experience, until today), where 'traffic might happen at any time' (LOL..), but John is a brilliant driving instructor, and I started getting the hang of it towards the end of the lesson. I didn't even panic when I drove downhill to a junction, where I had to stop before turning, and noticed that there was a garda car behind me. I reasoned that they could see I was having a driving lesson, so I'd be OK if I did something idiotic.. But I was OK! I drove all the way back on Herbert Road, almost to Main Street, but THAT would have been a bit too much today, so he drove me back home from there.

I didn't want to leave too much of a gap between the first lessons, because I don't want to start getting nervous again.. If I hadn't promised to help H with her school project, I'd have had my second lesson tomorrow, but it'll be on Monday now. I actually can't wait! I feel much more confident and much less nervous now..

The route on Routebuilder.org