Personal Narrative: My Connecticut State Driver's License

June 18th, 2015. This was the day that all my preparation would culminate into the final, long-desired goal. I had been practicing endlessly for 5 months, in the snow, in the rain, and in the wind. I had completed my 40 hours of practice, and had spent much more time thinking and dreaming about this day. June 18th, 2015 was the day of my Connecticut State Driver’s License Exam. I had turned 16 on January 18th of the same year. 3 days after my birthday, I made the trek to Cheshire from my hometown of Farmington, about a 20 minute drive. I made the trip in order to take the Learner’s Permit Test, the first of many steps in the process of receiving a Driver’s License in Connecticut. On the way there, my dad said to me, “I hope you don’t fail because the next available appointment is in 3 weeks.” My nerves were through the roof, even though I knew I was more than prepared. I walked into the DMV office and sat down. I felt the cool leather of the waiting chairs while I listened to the small buzz of the office on a Wednesday afternoon. I peered out the window and saw the dim sunshine of January reflecting off of the towering snow piles that had been plowed off the passing roads. As I walked in for the test, my nerves were through the roof. I never thought I would be as nervous as I was in that moment again in my life. Oh how I was wrong. I walked in for the test and looked around the room. …show more content…
I looked at the nervous faces of the teenagers taking the test. I looked at the various safe driving signs on the wall. I looked at the rows of computers in the small, claustrophobic room. I looked at the DMV officials walking around the room, answering the various questions that arose. I looked at the man in the back of the room, sitting next to the printer, processing the tests. I looked at the printer, the machine that would give me a paper that said one of two words: pass or fail. The woman who had led me into the room was trying to get my attention, as I had spaced out. She said, “Pick any computer and begin.” I sat down at the nearest computer, and began the test. The next twenty minutes were a blur. The first thing I remember was walking back to the waiting room with my paper in hand, telling my dad, “I aced it.” While I knew this was only the first step in a process, I felt a great rush of relief. ‘A 20/20’, I thought to myself. I couldn’t believe that I had actually aced the exam. Now it was onto the actual driving. After 5 months and over 40 hours of practice, the day had finally arrived. …show more content…
I arrived at the DMV in Waterbury ready to take my test. School had been let out for summer only 2 short days ago, but those days seemed like an eternity to me. I had enjoyed the last few days, swimming in the pool and sleeping in. I hung out with my friends, and we had good times. But, there was the ever-looming cloud of the test. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I brought it up in conversation with almost anyone I talked to. I thought about it during the day, and dreamt about it at night. The night before the test, I had a dream that I had failed, and my dad forced me to walk home. This was one dream that I didn’t want to come true. The day of the test began with my final practice run. I drove to the Waterbury DMV, the location in which I would take my exam. The drive there was the longest time I had ever been on the highway, which helped my confidence greatly. When I arrived at the DMV, my thoughts ran wild. I walked into the circus that was the Department of Motor Vehicles on the average work day, and my nerves skyrocketed. The first sight I saw was a girl crying. She looked to be about my age, and was there with her father and her twin sister. From what I could tell, her sister had passed her test. But, it was very apparent that she had failed. Her father was talking to the