I’ve wondered how to deal with the obstacles I’ve found in Koh Chang and how driving lessons can help us deal with and get over those obstacles which are both in real life and in our heads.
The driving lessons don’t necessarily have to be for those who are new at learning to drive but also for people like me, who have experienced challenges in their everyday driving.
When my husband arrived in Koh Chang, I spoke to him about my desire to ride a scooter and when we rented one for the day, he took me into a deserted supermarket car park – told me what to do, showed me how to do it and then set me off on my own mini adventure. Telling me in the process that what I was doing here, was much harder than anything else I would have to do once out on the road. Because of all the twists and turns I would need to make in small spaces.
Once I was back on the side of the island my place of work was located – which was over many hills, which even the taxi drivers didn’t want to drive at night. I asked a colleague to take me out on his bike – to a quiet stretch of road where I could practice driving without all the turns I needed to make in a car park and the result was, that my confidence began to grow.
He did so and although this is not encouraged or endorsed by A Pass 4 U in the UK, it was something which enabled me to understand the process that I was going through and to think about how a driving instructor would teach a pupil. But I also became aware that it was my mind then put a stop to it again and would not let me continue to build the confidence in doing. For some reason, it was my punitive thoughts which affected me.
I’ve thought about doing a refresher course when I come back to the UK. Speaking to the company and explaining to them, how my fear of hills limited my ability to drive. The hills although real were ok but the obstacle of my mind, was something which was far more difficult to deal with in the process. I’ve thought the refresher course the company offer may be good for this.
I’m also a therapist and I know the challenges that present themselves at time in the way I think and I also recognise how it had taken me twenty years to find the courage to drive up a curly whirly car park and only three months to learn how to ride a scooter on Koh Chang which included a very challenging rainy season.
I think personally I would commit to a refresher course and work specifically on those things which caused me to clam up when driving on hilly roads.
I know a colleague suggested that driving on the flat would be a good start to gain confidence, but I would question how do you build on that confidence if you never drive on the kind of roads which challenge you.
Look out for my interview with A Pass 4 U Owner Tony Mihill in December as he shares with us his wisdom in dealing with challenges and obstacles when learning to drive!