My Life As Madalyn

Howdy! If any of you follow me on Twitter, then you would have most likely heard that yesterday I took my driving test and I passed! I had been preparing for it, for a while now but I was still pretty nervous when it finally came around. I figured I would share my experience with you all in the hope that it would possibly help you if you haven't taken your test yet. So, here is how it went...

(Before I start, I wanted to clarify that every state and country is different with the requirements and process of a driving test. My experience will be about where I live so your test might be different.)

I decided to take my test at a qualified driving school rather than the DPS solely because of the location. I was more familiar with the location of the school than with the location of the DPS. I arrived to the school and it was my time to shine...so I thought. I was handed the keys to the car in which I would be taking the test, and got in. Soon after, my examiner followed and got in the car as well. She went through the rules with me and asked if I had anymore questions. I did not. It was time.

I positioned my chair and all the mirrors and she then tells me to back out of the parking space so I put the car in reverse. One problem, the parking brake was on and I didn't even think to look. (Keep in mind, I was pretty nervous.) My examiner notified me of the issue by saying that I was missing something. I immediately freaked out. I found the issue and tried to turn the brake off but...couldn't do it. It wasn't working. I pulled as hard as I could and nothing moved. Oh no, this isn't going well. After several tries and me finally having to use both hands and all my strength, we got it done.

After my examiner directs me across the street to a school parking lot, I am told to back up in a straight line. It goes pretty well. I am then told to parallel park in between two cones. Haha, mistake number two. (I know how to parallel park and have performed it successfully many times before just not exactly how I did it this time. Also, the poles that they usually use were stolen so they had to set up there own cones...that's what I'm thinking. Who would steal that? Still don't know.) I pull up to the cones, signal for the turn, and begin to back up into the space. Once I see the cone across from me through the passenger window, I begin to back up in the other direction. I hope that isn't what I think it is. I do not hit the cones but slightly touch the curb. I try to fix it but to no prevail. Great, my worst nightmare, I've already failed and haven't even gotten on the road yet. "Hun, just go ahead and pull out," says my examiner. *Begins to cry inside*

I was surprised to hear it, but she continued to direct me through a neighborhood and everything seemed to go pretty well. I was still pretty embarrassed and confused about everything that had just happened but I tried to forget about it so that I could focus on my next steps. I had never been in the area that she was taking me so my nerves were still in a frenzy. I took a left turn but, because there were no lines due to construction, I ended up in the right lane. Mistake number three. We continued on the route and things were going well up until an ambulance and firetruck came down the road that I was on. I couldn't get over because of traffic blocking me so she quietly said "just stay here". I didn't hear her so when my light was green (at the intersection that I was in) I let off of the brake and that was a bad decision. She told me to stop and explained that when you see flashing lights, they have the right-of-way. I knew that. Mistake number four. My nerves were still there and I was so scared that I was going to fail. I mean, after everything that was happening I was thinking about when I would have to reschedule a test.

We made it back to the driving school safely and my nerves were finally calming down again. She told me to park right in front of the school but there was a problem, there were no open parking spaces. I figured she just wanted me to continue looking for one but no. I was wrong. I passed the concrete ramp that I later found out was the "parking space" that I was supposed to park at. She told me to back up and turn the wheel toward her to park where she wanted me to. Oh no, she thinks I'm dumb, I think I failed. We park and turn off the car and my heart was pounding. I didn't know what she was going to say. I began to prepare myself for something along the lines of "Unfortunately you did not pass today...". She wrote down some things on her paper and finally said "OK, you made an ...., you did a great job and these are your mistakes..." I was so focused on what she was going to say that I forgot what my grade was. I believe she said an 89 but I'm not entirely sure. She told me what my mistakes were, gave me the paper, and told me to go inside for some paperwork. A wave of relief washed over me.

I now am planning on going to the DPS in a few days to get my license. Hopefully everything goes well and no new bad experiences occur but we'll see. I am so happy and relieved that I passed. I am hoping I never have to go through that again.

I hope you liked this post. I am aware that it is not something that I usually do but I wanted to post it for the future when I want to look back on it. It was more on a personal level so I hope you all enjoyed it. Lastly, I should have a new post coming out on Wednesday so be looking out for that. ♥

How did your driving test go? If you haven't taken it yet, what are you most afraid of for the test?

I started my blog over a year and a half ago and, throughout that time, I have found some tips and tricks that certainly help with planning and posting. I know that some of you have (or are thinking about creating) a blog so I thought that it would be helpful if I shared some of my tips with all of you fellow bloggers.

Planning:
Planning is a very crucial step if you want to alleviate stress and stay on a schedule. Without some form of planning process, I honestly don't know how I would be able to stay sane while releasing new content. I personally enjoy using a blogging binder. It makes it easy to know when to post and even keeps track of what days I should be active on social media. It has helped tremendously. I will also sometimes use just a notebook and it seems to work out just as well. There are many free downloadable blogging planners so I am sure that you will be able to find one that you like. If that doesn't work out then you can even create your own or use a notebook.

Schedule:
Sticking to a schedule, the thing that took me a while to do. As of now, I plan on posting every Sunday and Wednesday. I know that I have missed a few days but my schedule is still my goal. It took me a while to start posting on a schedule because, at first, I didn't really care about it but now I realize its importance. It helps me by holding myself accountable and it helps my readers by knowing when to check back for more content. Sticking to a schedule shouldn't be your top priority but it should definitely be thought of with importance. Using your planner would help greatly with reminding yourself.

Content:
I struggle a lot with coming up with blog post ideas. In order to help with that, whenever I think of an idea, I try to remind myself to write it down because (knowing me) I'm sure I would forget it within the next ten minutes. Also, whenever I really need an idea quickly, I search for inspiration. Whether that be, Pinterest, other blogs, Instagram, you name it. It seems to help bring in a few new ideas.

Social Media:
Some might think, "Why do I need to keep up with my social media when it has nothing to do with my blog?". Answer: it does. A lot. Social media brings in new people, brings in returning people, is another form for people to keep up with you, and is a great marketing strategy. I don't have an issue with this because I personally love social media so I would use it anyway but for some, it seems to be another thing added to their to-do list. Using it doesn't mean you have to be on it 24/7 but it should mean staying up to date with it every now-and-then. It really does make a difference.

How did you like this post? Did you get anything out of it? Let me know in the comments down below. Also, what are some of your blogging tips and tricks? I would love to know! ♥

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