By Lizzy Donker, BCN intern.

Editor’s note: Bryan County News intern Lizzy Donker, a senior at Richmond Hill High School, got her driver’s license over the summer. Here’s an update and a hint: It hasn’t been a smooth ride.

A few months ago I officially got my drivers license. You may have even read the article. Much has happened since that article, so I thought it might be nice to give you a little update on how the whole driving thing is going for me. And, like most news you read, it is in fact – not good.

Let me start on a positive note before I get into my real experiences with driving. I have definitely gotten better at driving since my test, and have gotten lots of practice (whether I wanted it or not). And I was right about the parallel parking thing. I have still never had to actually use it. Okay, but aside from my usual successful *enough* driving, there have been a few mishaps since I’ve hit the road.

Let me preface this by saying – Mom, if you’re reading this, now would be the time to put it down.

Seriously, put the article down. Some things will really only make you lose sleep at night. And though I fear you have already defied my wishes and are still reading, let’s consider the rest of this off-script and say I’m only making it all up for the sake of the article.

Anyways.

Okay, so, real talk.

Backing up – why did no one warn me it would be this hard?

And over the past couple of months I have learned the unfortunate truth that peeking in your rearview mirror and praying to whatever God you believe in that you have enough room to not hit whatever’s behind you is just not enough to do the trick. You can ask the metal fence I backed into and the scratches on the back of my car (OFF SCRIPT, MOM!).

I also had the pleasure of experiencing backing into a boat first-hand. You think something or someone in life would have prepared me for this situation.

As it turns out, some things drivers ed just cannot teach.

Just in case the scratches from the fence (and other experiences I feel the need to not go into detail about as my mother does, in fact, know where I live), wasn’t enough to accessorize my car, it now features a gaping hole in the back with the bumper partially disconnected to match!

Seriously, if my car was a boat it would sink, which I guess is my karma for hitting one.

Let’s just say this pumpkin spice latte season has come to a sooner- than-expected end as I will be using said latte money to pay for more fun things like a new bumper, and if I’m lucky some duct tape to cover the hole.

But you should see the other guy. Another takeaway from said experience: if you back into a boat, even one parked in your own driveway, do not drive away. Even if you think it just left a scratch (which we both know it didn’t). Because, as it turns out, the jail-time that comes from an actual hit and run is probably a better deal than the punishment that comes from your mother for doing a hit and run in your own backyard.

Not like I speak from experience of anything. But, seriously, I have got to wrap this up because there’s toilets to be cleaned.

And, while we’re here, let’s just clear the air. I did also get my car stuck in the mud. I mean, seriously, the one time I’m lucky enough to back up without hitting something I back into a field of mud about knee-deep.

And even though I couldn’t walk in this field of mud without getting my foot completely stuck, the warning signs were apparently not there because I saw no problem reversing my car into said field (thanks Georgia for the weekly tropical storms). And once my car was fully submerged in the mud, it genuinely did come as a surprise to me when spinning the tires repeatedly only worsened the situation. I can now check getting my car towed out of my own backyard off my bucket list (because it was definitely on there in the first place).

So, I’ve learned a lot over the past couple of months. I’ve reversed into some things I wasn’t supposed to reverse into, got my car stuck in some things it shouldn’t have gotten stuck in, and got honked at about 20 too many times (if that was you and you’re reading this I hope you feel guilty, by the way). Long story short, they meant it when they said you learn from experience.

And experiences I have had. So here’s to more future experiences to come, hopefully positive, and less car repairs (side-note I will be starting a go-fund me to pay for the damage so donations are welcome).