Wednesday 3 June 2009

Holiday Week ... Friday

After our trek to the lakes I really wanted a rest from driving so Thursday was just spent pottering around not doing anything in particular. Friday was another matter though, we went to Seahouses.



I have to admit I don't particularly like driving, especially the longer journeys. After about an hour I tend to get quite tired and my eyes start to sting . I'm not very confident with roundabouts and as for narrow roads - the least said about that the better.



I'm terrified of killing something like a bird or a rabbit - anything and get really nervous . I know Hub is right when he says that I can't keep braking for birds in the road but I can't help it, even though I know it's more dangerous to brake. Anyway , the point I'm trying to make is that I had only wanted to drive for about an hour but to get to Seahouses took an hour and a half so I wasn't in the best of moods when we got there.



Even with these spectacular views and knowing the boys were having a whale of a time I couldn't relax knowing I had the drive back to do also.



I love Seahouses and it's amazing beaches but I think that after the long drives of the days before it was just too much for me. Even though I passed my test 7 months ago now , I don't use the car every day it really only gets used to take Hub to and from work or to the supermarket. I don't use it for school runs or going to town. Sometimes it can sit there for days on end.



When we are preparing to go somewhere which is a longer journey about an hour before I get really ratty and snap at everyone , I know I'm doing it and Hub knows I do it - surely it must get easier?



I'm sorry for the whinge and I hope the pics help detract from it ..... I've even got butterflies in my stomach just writing this .
Oh, and a lorry had broken down on the motorway on the way home so it took us 2 hours to get home !!!!

23 comments:

driftwood said...

oh I do feel for you about the driving, since we got our new bigger car I dread leaving the house, and it took me a month to brave the dual carriageway........ but it does get easier, and it is so lovely to get to beautiful places like that. - perhaps hubby could learn to drive too? xoxo

...Nina Nixon... said...

Driving - I hate it and I really do not know why! It's given me such freedom, but since having the children I tend to get all paniky and like you I get very tired until I end up like a rabbit in headlights just staring straight ahead. I'm sure if I drove more I would gain more confidence.

Though your trip looks like it was worth it - lovely pictures and all that wide open space - beautiful!

Have a lovely day,

Nina x

A Spoonful Of Sugar said...

I am sure it will get easier as you get more experienced. You are lucky to have so many nice places to go for day trips!

Locket Pocket said...

Your photos are lovely! And as for the driving, I'm sure you will get more confidence as you get more used to it. Maybe you just need to keep pushing yourself to use the car - I know that's contrary to the advice we're always being given to use our cars less. But it's probably the best way to get over the nerves.

Take care, Lucy x

French Knots said...

I agree, if you try to go out in the car a bit more often it might help overcome the nerves. It gets easier as you get more experienced and look at the wonderful places you can go.....not to mention far flung fabric or wool shops!

Knot Garden said...

I've been driving for 15 years and I'm still not confident with long journeys, and I have big problems with driving somewhere if I don't already know the route. Seahouses does look beautiful though.

LizzieJane said...

Oh you poor thing. You have only been driving for a short while so it will get easier as time goes by.
Lovely pic's it looks like a wonderful place to visit.
x

Adrienne said...

I started driving at 16 - you had to to get anywhere. What a beautiful place where you live that everything is mostly walking distance. You will get more comfortable - don't worry about those critters - they'll move out of the way!

Kim said...

Girl you make me laugh - prehistoric porn huh?? I'll have to lok that one out, perhaps not from the library though!
Have you read the Twilight books already (i've just ordered my twilight T shirt for on the allotment, much excitement in my sad life!!)
Love your photo's - before Anna was born we used to go up to Bamburgh quite a lot, until Alex had an encounter in a house we were staying in and we couldn't pursuade him to go again after that.
Kim xx

Lina said...

What a beautiful beach. I used to be a nervous driver, inherited from my mum I think. My main fear was getting lost. Then I got a job which involved a lot of driving and realised that I could generally find my way about even if I did get lost. Although I will admit to being a nervous wreck for the first month - driving on the other side of the road when I moved to Canada though!

Vintage to Victorian said...

Such a shame you hate driving. I'm sure you'll overcome the fear as time goes on, but you need to treat your car as your friend, rather than your enemy! I have always loved it. I learned on a tractor when I was 13 and it was the longest 4 years of my life, waiting to be able to get on the road.

I must admit I get more tired on long journeys now, but after well over 40 years of driving perhaps that's allowed!!

Could you perhaps go on some little practice runs, a little bit further each time, to unknown places to build up your confidence? Treat yourself to a lovely cuppa and cake when you reach each new destination. It'll play havoc with your waistline, but would give you an incentive maybe.

Good luck!
Sue x

Renaissance said...

Braking for the birds is okay as long as you check in your mirrors first that noone is going to hit you up the bumper! Personally I love long journeys it's the driving into town and back I loathe.

Lucy said...

Oh I so agree about the driving. I wish I could go to sleep on long journeys (as a passenger not driver, obviously!) but I'm too nervous, and I drive my husband mad trying to put the brake on with my foot! Love your beach photos. That sky is so blue! Lucy x

Twiggy said...

Gorgeous photos, I love Seahouses too haven't been for donkeys years , note to self somewhere else for the we must take Twiglet list. I hate driving on motorways and I've been driving for 20 years - yikes, yes I am that old!!! Persevere with it though, I love the freedome being able to drive gives me.
Twiggy x

Thimbleanna said...

Oh gosh, I'm sorry about your driving anxiety. It's different here because our roads are, for the most part, wide and open. Which is to say, I wish I could say something that would help, but you're in uncharted territory.

So, I'll change the subject. Isn't it fun to have two boys???

AnyoneCanQuilt said...

You poor thing. It will get easier! Speaking of driving horror stories. When we lived in Oklahoma we were out on our very first camping trip with our new travel trailer, 4 hours from home, when my husband got very sick. We had to get home and he couldn't drive! I had to drive home at night during a HUGE storm!! I thought we would blow off of the road. I even had to pull over because word was that there was an actual TORNADO ahead. I didn't drive fast enough for huge trucks so they all passed me which caused our trailer to swerve from side to side behind the SUV I was driving. I think there were depressions from my hands in the steering wheel when we actually got home!

Unknown said...

It will get easier - I promise. I actually really love driving - having that sense of freedom that you can get places that public transport perhaps doesn't reach. x

LissyLou said...

LOOKS LIKE SUCH A GREAT DAY!!

On the house front - our house is up for sale so fingers crossedXX

Kellie said...

Doesn't D drive??????? God if only Sid would let me drive when he's in the car!!!!! I'm sorry that it makes you so uneasy it is a scary thing if you think aout it and what could happen ... but it is also liberating and that is a good thing! YOu will have to drive when you guys come to live here!!! Everything is just toooooooo far away to walk!!!!:)

Ally Jay said...

We are who we are, and so people just prefer not to drive. Don't beat yourself up relax and plan accordingly. Sometimes that can be enough to make it better.

Philigry said...

it is so nice to meet someone else with driving anxiety because i have it too. i thought i was the only one. and round abouts! i dread those. my heart beats so fast,a nd breathing is hard.
anyway, it does look like you had such a beautiful day! what fun!

Attic24 said...

Oh I can SO sympathise, i am exactly the same. I hate driving, will avoid it at all costs, get snappy and bad tempered if I know I have to do it esp longer journeys, or places that I don't know well.
I passed my test 15 years ago, and nope, it does not get better I'm afraid, well it hasn't for me any road.

Seahouses looks GORGEOUS...have driven through the town a couple times when we stay in Craster, but had no idea the beach was like that. Beautiful. Will go there in Aug when we holiday there again.
hugs
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leanne said...

You need to come a live with me. We drive for hours on wide open roads. Seahouses looks like such a nice place to visit though.