My comfort zone

Staying in my comfort zone has always been the easiest option, and I have tried to extend my stay in this zone as much as possible.

I'm not a fan of speed, I don't care about fancy cars, and for that reason, I was never interested in learning how to drive. I grew up in Bogotá, and my family didn't have a car when I was growing up. I didn't see the need to have a car because I always used public transportation.

When I was 27, I moved to Germany, and I could manage my life using my bike. Then, when I moved to Switzerland, I could always commute to work by train, and my husband was the one who drove the car when we needed to travel or go shopping.

However, when I got pregnant and had my daughter, I realized that having a car makes life easier when you have children. In 2019, I decided to get a Swiss driving license. I started in January 2020 with the first aid course, which was just one day and very easy-going. Two months after the first aid course, the COVID pandemic started, and my plans were suspended.

In September 2021, I decided to continue with my driving license plans and reinitiated the process. The next step was to pass the theory exam. I have to say that I am very well organized and methodical. I downloaded all the apps and instructions, and I was able to learn the driving rules easily and successfully passed the theory driving exam.

For the next step, I just needed to pass the last exam, the practical one, and I didn't imagine that it would be so difficult for me. I am very nervous, and I didn't have experience driving, so the first classes were very catastrophic. I was afraid of other cars, and despite knowing the rules, I didn't feel confident driving. My teacher sometimes got desperate with me, and I felt very overwhelmed trying to drive on the highway. I used to cry after my classes because I had the feeling that I would never be able to drive a car.

I practiced a lot at home, and I started to improve very slowly. I had more than 50 lessons. I was disappointed because for getting this license I had spent more money than I did for my master's studies in Germany. I think I spent more than 10,000 CHF between classes, babysitters, and gas.

I got the appointment for the first try of my driving exam in July 2022. I was feeling very nervous, but I had improved a lot, and at this moment, I felt that I could make it. However, my exam was not good. I got nervous on the highway with a lot of traffic, and I asked a lot of questions to the evaluator. It was not good, as I gave him the impression that I wasn't an independent driver.

By that time, I realized I was pregnant, and I felt more vulnerable. However, I tried to give myself a second chance and tried again for a second driving exam. For this exam, I must say that I practiced a lot with my husband and friends during the weekends, and I scheduled a lot of lessons with my driving teacher. I was feeling confident and able to drive. I scheduled the second exam in October 2022. I was already in my 7th month of pregnancy, and at this point, my teacher told me that I would not be able to make the emergency stop in the exam and that I needed to communicate that to the evaluator.

In the first exam, the first evaluator tried to make small talk with me, I think to break the ice and make me feel more comfortable. But for the second exam, the second evaluator had a very cold attitude with me, and his only question was if I was able to speak German. I responded, "Yes, high German is better for me." In the exam, I was doing well, but after one curve, I didn't accelerate to 80 km/h, and a truck overtook me. After that, the evaluator decided to return to the initial meeting point, and he didn't evaluate me on the highway. When we arrived, he said that I didn't pass the exam and commented that the evaluators must really concentrate on the exam when a pregnant woman is driving because I would not be able to stop in an emergency and that he recommended not taking the exam in such an advanced pregnancy.

After the second failure, I felt sad and depressed, and I decided to stop and concentrate on enjoying the last months of my pregnancy and taking care of myself. By this point, I didn't want to think about driving, and I was almost sure not to continue trying.

My son was born in January 2023, and I enjoyed the first few months with him. Retaking driving classes was not an option for me at that moment. In Switzerland, people can attempt to take the driving exam only three times. If a fourth chance is needed, the person must pass a psychiatric evaluation. I was afraid to fail again, and I didn't want to lose time with my baby. When my son was 4 months old, my husband encouraged me to retake the classes again, claiming that I had invested so much time, energy, and money that it would be very sad to lose the opportunity to get the license. I had a deadline for passing the driving exam, which was in August 2023, so if I really wanted to get my license, I needed to hurry up and start taking lessons as soon as possible.

I thought a lot about what to do. Finally, I decided to continue but making some changes. I have read that Albert Einstein said that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." So I decided to find another school and initiate the classes with a new teacher. I found an amazing woman who had the patience and applied the correct pedagogy that I required to pass the exam. She had empathy and transmitted the confidence that I needed. I continued practicing by myself and scheduled a third exam in June 2023. I felt easier during the third exam than the previous ones. The path the evaluator chose was a common path in my classes with my new teacher. During the exam, the evaluator tried to talk to me and ask me questions about my life that helped me relax, and I didn't get so nervous. I successfully passed the exam, and I finally got my license after a few days.

It was June 8, 2023, and I will never forget that day. We celebrated at home as I was graduating from a career in rocket science. I called my mom and siblings to share the good news. Some friends who knew about the exam sent me encouraging messages, and I was delighted to reply that, this time, I had successfully passed! I still vividly remember the first time I picked up my daughter from daycare, and how she smiled at me, saying, "Mami, you did it! But I still prefer traveling by bike."

This experience took me out of my comfort zone. I faced very difficult challenges for me there, and I realized that I could be a very persistent person when I must reach my objectives, even when I failed the first time. I continued fighting to reach my goal. I feel proud of what I achieved, and I feel grateful to be surrounded by family and friends who encouraged and supported me during this time. It also helps me to be aware that I can approach future challenges with hard work and endurance.

For me, it was the driving license. What about you? Do you have any pending projects that will take you out of your comfort zone?