Hit the Road Jack

I don’t know how it is for others learning to drive in a foreign country, but for me, it was downright intimidating. Let’s just get this out in the open: I know how to drive, and I do it well. I was born and raised near Detroit, the Motor City. Cars were part of my childhood; being afraid to drive was never an option.

But take all of that experience, scramble it like eggs, add thousands of pedestrians and cyclists, throw in a language you can’t read or speak, and plop yourself on the other side of the world—and suddenly, you have one very confused driver.

A few months in, though, and I’m doing just fine. Only three speeding tickets so far. The biggest inconvenience? Those relentless speeding cameras. No arguing, no pleading—just a polite little envelope in the mail saying, “Pay the fine.”