Karina gets her Driver's license!

April 23, 2008.
Karina has a 3:30 p.m. appointment at the Oakland Claremont DMV for her driving test. At 3:15 p.m., she pulls up to the DMV. We head to window 28. She's armed with her temporary permit, certificate of completion of her 6 hours behind the wheel driving lessons, car registration & insurance card. (Additionally, I've done my part: put the 2008-09 tags on the car, bought two new front tires and compared insurance rates for adding a teen driver.) Luckily, she is assigned a very nice, lady "tester" who smiles a lot, unlike most of the deadpan male testers. Karina is greatly relieved.

At 3:30 p.m. sharp, both the nice lady tester, and Karina, hop in the sage Prius and head out of the parking lot. Within 10 minutes, they're back. Karina is deadpan as the lady tester leads her into the DMV to window 28. I shoot Karina a quizzical look. She breaks into a giant grin and signals two thumbs up. She passed!!

Turns out that Karina was lucky that she drove the Prius. Most testers don't say much in the car which can create a rather nerve-wracking environment for an already nervous new driver. Karina's lady tester was so curious about our Prius that she peppered Karina with questions, thus breaking the ice and putting Karina at ease.

Additionally, testers are NOT supposed to help the new driver in any way. However, when Karina found herself waiting patiently behind a double-parked truck, the lady tester said, "OK, what if I were dying?" Karina quickly got the hint and zipped around the truck to return to the DMV.

After the DMV confirmed our newly licensed driver, Karina and I went to celebrate at Fenton's by sharing a giant chocolate malt! She was so happy that I thought she would pop!

These moments are bittersweet for a mother. it reminded me of the day she took her first steps 16 years ago. She learned to walk at 10 months in the upstairs study in Piedmont. She learned to ride her bike in the parking lot at Merritt College in 2nd grade. And now, on April 23, she got her driver's license.

It's a major milestone in her life because it's the first real step to her independence and subsequent individuation from us, her family. The wings on my little bird are almost strong enough to take flight. In another year, I will be watching her at graduation. I will be so proud, as she soars onward to her own life.