Dr Patricia Romero de Mills

Without falling into generalisations (or -worse still-, undermining the reasons why a twenty-year old decides to get a licence, and the challenges this represents to them), I feel I can confidently assert that, if you are 45, and you have to get through the process of getting a full licence. The project of getting a licence to be able to drive in the UK, has come with its fair share of tears, frustrations and despair. Looking back, I feel that these feelings came together with the never-ending reminder that, to live your life at full in a borrowed land, you don't always need to learn new things, but to unlearn them… To forget you once were… I can drive, I learned aged 18, or so I thought. But as it turned out, 15 out of the 20 hours of tuition I took were invested in erasing the traces of the Mexico-City-driver. The perfectly able driver me who even took the liberty to teach others how to master the art. But it seemed to me that to obtain my licence here, I had to pretend those episodes never happened. That I had just imagined that Patricia of the past and that she had never existed… This is part of what makes it such a wonderful project, of course: the opportunities to grow and to become a person you wouldn't have learned was in you in the first place, and you would have never discovered could be you if it wasn't for the courage you displayed one day by leaving your homeland. Exciting, yes, fulfilling, no doubt, but un poquito testing from time to time. Well, all this just to share with you the news that yesterday morning, despite all odds, I passed my test. I passed it on the first attempt. And I feel happy. And brave and still a bit scared of roundabouts. I will be eternally grateful to Terry Pegg, my driving instructor and his commitment to help me see this project through. His patience, great teaching skills and sense of humour were a true balm for the soul through this process. (If anyone is planning to get a licence in the Winchester/Eastleigh/Southampton area, I strongly recommend giving a ring to Terry's LDC Driving School). Felicidades a mí y abrazos infinitos a todos, but in particular to all my beloved explorers of the world - de antes y de hoy who know exactly the feelings I am talking about. I know you do. But I'm telling you: We are audacious people, indeed. Don't ever forget. Los adoro :') British roads: ¡Agárrense, que here I come!