Write@Home
Winter 2015

Driving

One old woman getting the pass to drive a car

To drive is something that I do not do when I visit Cuba, my motherland. I came to live in Canada when I was 47 years old and at that age I started learning how to drive.

In Cuba it is not easy to get a car because it is very expensive, so the rate of drivers is minimal. It is good to note that most of the cars are old. Driving in Cuba is difficult due to the conditions of the roads and the absence of traffic signals.

In Canada, learning to drive was a beautiful experience for me. I must say, that the roads here are well marked, which makes driving easy and safe, not to mention the quality of the vehicles.

Driving has been a goal achieved for me. My first experience driving in the snow was terrifying: the windows would fog up and I was scared. My nerves were pretty sensitive every time winter came. I was afraid to drive, especially for fear of losing control of the car and sliding on the highways at the peak times.

Thank God, I have overcome it, but it has been quite a process.