Passing my driving test during a pandemic drove me insane

My foot is shaking over the clutch. The examiner is saying words but they’re going through my head like echos in a cave that just don’t make sense. My palms are sweaty. I feel sick. Everything is happening all at once. Okay. Breath. My eyes are on the road, ready to start my driving test. It doesn’t feel real. 3^rd time lucky they say right? 
 
Learning to drive throughout the height of the pandemic was a nightmare. My first test was postponed when we first went into lockdown. With restrictions constantly changing, having lessons, and then having to stop lessons felt like a never ending back and forth tennis match. 

My first driving lesson

My first test date finally arrived six months later. I didn’t feel confident, but I thought I’d give it a go – which turned out to be a bad idea.

 
As the test started, I was focused on ignoring the butterfly’s inside in my stomach, but they got the best of me. The road was narrower than I thought, and cars were slowing down in sheer panic as I raced down the tiny street. At the end of the road, I somehow managed to block half of the roundabout by pulling out when I shouldn’t have.
 
Two minutes later, we were back at the test centre. After driving down one road, I had received two majors and two minors. It seems funny, but I really was shocked at how quickly things had gone wrong. 

 

As the second pandemic approached, my next test kept getting cancelled which was frustrating. After ten months, it finally came to the date of my second test. It couldn’t go much worse, could it?

I had the same examiner and I prayed to God he wouldn’t remember me. I don’t think he did, but I’m sure he’ll always remember me after this disaster. The test started and I drove down the first road a lot slower with ease this time. I soon made it to the second road without a major and gave myself a pat on the back.

For some reason, I lost all ability to know my lefts from rights. This ended in me quickly swerving left at 30mph and nearly crashing into an oncoming car which slammed on its breaks.

Yes, we ended up back at the test centre 30 seconds later.

I wanted to give up. But I just couldn’t. The expiry date on my theory test was coming up, and I didn’t want to retake it. I rang the test centre and managed to book a test five days before my theory test would expire. I was determined to somehow pass this time round.

The pressure was on, and the day soon arrived.

Throughout the test, everything was a lot smoother. No near crashes, I knew my lefts and rights. Was I actually going to pass?

My nerves disappeared throughout the test, but they came back as I was about to find out if I had passed. “Just tell me!” I squeaked.

“You’ve passed!” He replied. I was almost in tears. After long waiting times, months without practice and badly failed tests, there was success on the other side.

 

I had finally passed.