Emily is driving!! So if back-to-school week wasn’t hectic enough, we obtained Emily’s Driver’s License as well! It has been QUITE an ordeal, I must say. The state of South Carolina has a lot of rules when it comes to new drivers. First, she had to get her Learners Permit by taking a written test at the Department of Motor Vehicles which she did in the spring. Then, she had to take a Driver Education Class through a local company. They were excellent, but strict! She took a long 1-day class and then went out with an instructor for multiple hours on multiple days. We spent the summer driving around town trying to get in our 40 hours of required drive time, ten of which had to be at night. We waited to drive at night until after we had done the majority of the 30 daytime hours. In the summer, it doesn’t get dark until 8:30-9 o’clock! So, we spent a few weeks lugging ourselves out the door at that hour when we’d rather just stay home in our pjs.
Emily really did not like practicing. School and sports come easy to her but this was a tough one! This experience really stretched her and her sweet personality. She had to learn how to make quick decisions and to be a confident driver. She had to learn to take criticism which is never fun for any of us, but she got through it! We finally finished all that and thought we’d have her license in hand within a day or two, but we hit so many road blocks that it took weeks! She just needed a road test, but things kept coming up! The instructor had to reschedule, the DMV was booked or closed, and another time we didn’t have the right paperwork! Ahhh! We finally got the test done (that was super intense for my girl) and she passed! We finally got to back to the DMV and get her license! Whew! I’m a little nervous about letting her out on the road, but I know the more she drives the better she’ll get! And the less I’ll have to drive her all over creation! ;)
