It’s just me and the open road

While I was on my way to school from home this morning, I finally felt the need to learn how to drive.

You see, my mom doesn’t want me to stay at Katipunan next schoolyear because for all she knows I could be dealing weed or whoring myself to every guy I see in between classes. She thinks that I’m a delinquent like that. At first I fought hard to stay in a condo, but I easily lost because she pays for the rent so it’s pretty much her call. After that, I lobbied hard for my own room, a battle which ended in defeat as well. So I’ve finally resigned myself to the fact that what used to be a ten minute sprint from my bed to the classroom will soon be a one hour excursion.

It’s not that I don’t like staying at home or being around my family–I do. It’s the going home or going to school that’s a problem. While I don’t really mind commuting every once in a while, I don’t think I’m up for doing it everyday. I was told there was a carpool that goes to my village, but then that would mean I’d be waking up at 7 a.m. everyday. And then I’d have to undergo an extra hour of socializing during the journey back home. And I’m not anti-social or anything, but after a long day at school, I usually prefer to stay quiet and not feel like I need to talk or be talked to by anyone.

Learning how to drive and getting my own car was a thought that never occurred to me until now. It’s perfect: I can still get the alone time I want, be with my family, and retain some level of independence. Unlike a carpool, I won’t have a schedule that dictates when I should get home or when I should go to school. I’m sure I could negotiate with my parents as to which is a reasonable time to go home and which isn’t. So I asked my mom for driving lessons and she said yes, we could probably still afford them. Then I asked her about getting a car too and she said that if I have enough money, why not? I don’t have enough in the bank for a secondhand car right now, but I think I’m about halfway there. Give me a few more months, and I promise by then I’ll be driving my own transpo.