Driving around - Getting a driving license in Florida

The first thing I did when I turned 18 was to get my driving license. In Italy, it is a process that involves a few steps and isn't the cheapest for a young person, but gaining freedom is priceless.

Getting a driving license in Italy—similar to today—involves a theory test and practical exam, with mandatory lessons (minimum 6 hours before the test). I remember passing the theory test right away (30 true or false questions), and the practical test went smoothly too. I got it right the first time.

As an Italian, I didn't need to take additional tests to drive in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. I simply did an eye test, provided a copy of my Italian driving license, visited the respective office, and within minutes I had my UAE and Qatari driving licenses. I mentioned being Italian because the ability to convert a driving license depends on your nationality; most nationalities require redoing the entire process. I never thought that would apply to me. Yet, a few months after getting my State ID, I found myself studying again to obtain my Florida driving license. Regardless of your origin or the number of licenses you hold, in the United States, you have to start from scratch. For me, this meant learning about miles and navigating the peculiar four-way intersections that still puzzle me.

I wish someone had helped me out, especially with the theory part. For practice, I had C who taught me to "drive" like my mom and dad did when I was 18. I felt insecure and almost scared to be on the road. Welcome to Florida, where drivers can be a bit crazy—kind of like Napoli, but more polite.

The most stressful part for me, was the theory test.

It did take me a few weeks to study, as I am one of those people who will not go and try; I need to go and pass, especially at 37 when I have already driven for most of my life. I thought I was ready, having done plenty of practice tests with a maximum of one or two mistakes each time. In the US, you have 50 questions with multiple-choice answers, and some very tricky ones, so it is easy to make mistakes. You're allowed 10 mistakes, which I thought was plenty.

On the day of the test, I was the first in line. At the DMV—in my case, in Orlando—you do your test in the middle of the DMV, with people moving around in front and behind you and very little room to concentrate. Or maybe that was just an excuse. In any case, I didn't know that you find out if you made a mistake right away, not at the end of the test like in Italy. So, after the first few questions, I already had 4 mistakes and started to panic. I kept skipping questions, trying to get as many right as possible. I got to question number 48 with 8 mistakes—almost done. Well, I passed! 9 mistakes and some tachycardia later. Even my watch told me that my heart was beating faster than usual.

Now, the easiest part: the practice.

In Italy, you literally need to learn and perform all sorts of parking and maneuvers and they fully test you during the test. Parallel parking, reversing, uphill, and downhill. Plus, you take your test with a manual car because that's mainly what we drive in Italy, and that's what you should learn with—it's too easy with an automatic.

Well, in the US, it is completely different (and much, much easier). I won't judge what is better or worse, but I can say that for those who are already driving, it's a piece of cake.

On the day of the test, after completing my eye test, I took my own car to the meeting point with my instructor, a really nice and chatty old man. We had just returned from a trip to Arizona, so I didn't have much time to practice, but from what I had seen online, I felt confident going straight in. In fact, 10 minutes and a few maneuvers later, I was done and told I passed with flying colors. I had a list given to me by the DMV detailing exactly what to prepare for, and that's all they asked.

• Parking straight in between poles

• Reversing

• Going all the way to 20 miles per hour and stopping

• Crossing an intersection

• Turning the car in three maneuvers

• All of these were done inside the DMV parking lot.

So yes, definitely the easiest part! And finally, I have a not-so-bad picture on the document that you pretty much use for everything in the US.

I do not know how easy or difficult it is in other states, but this definitely gave me a sense of freedom that I missed since moving here. Also, let's be honest, what can you do without a car in the US? So yes, a long way to go on my journey as a foreigner in the US, but I'm slowly getting there!