Kimberley's first long distance journey

For new drivers, taking the first step to a long car journey is a big one. Join Kimberley and her Mum for her first long-distance trip to Cambridge!


Kimberley Dodge Profile Picture

By Kimberley Dodge

Updated on Dec 3rd, 2020

Growing up; it happens to everyone, regardless of whether you still play computer games or hit up the skatepark with your skateboard, claiming you're a 'child at heart' does as much to delay the ageing process as Olay's latest anti-wrinkle cream.

With the end of my compulsory schooling days dawning, I am presented with a variety of pathways and I now have the daunting task of deciding which route I want to take. Personally, the academic whilst still independent promise of university is currently the avenue with the clearest signposts.

Therefore, I have been zipping up and down the country, searching for the university that appeals most to me, and I assume that many of you have been as well. I'm sure we've all got that ever-expanding collection of logo-covered tote bags, free stationery and hefty prospectuses that falls in the wake of university open days.

Knowing that university will force me to grow up (skateboarding or not), I decided to embark on my first 'long distance' journey as a young driver. Having said that, my 'long distance' journey was only about an hour and a half, yet considering my usual drives are limited to ten minutes between home and school, I am fully convinced that my driving expedition from Peterborough to Cambridge is fully justifiable as a fairly far trek.

Buckle up, Mum

With a ball of nerves for a Mum in the passenger seat, we headed for the highways, allowing me to experience driving on the motorway for the first time ever. Admittedly, it was daunting: the multiplicity of lanes and speeding lorries was quite scary, despite having passed my test for a few months now. At first, I was shy on the accelerator, nervous to overtake high rise trucks and other vehicles, fearing that I'd end up in the incorrect land and become utterly confused. However, with some reassurance (and a lot of impatient remarks) from my Mum, I was soon gliding down the motorway like a pro.

Being the first of my motorway drives, it was only fair that I received the full experience, encountering roadworks and diversions upon my forty-mile journey to the far, far away land of Cambridge. With a clearly thrilling drive ahead, I decided to vlog the experience to share with you, hoping that my journey of realizations and learning may help you be better prepared for you first 'long distance' drive. On the way, my Mum shared helpful tips for motorway driving, as well as helping me calm my nerves.

I hope you enjoyed watching our mother-daughter expedition and perhaps even learnt something from it!

Get set for the open road!

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Kimberley Dodge Profile Picture

By Kimberley Dodge

For me, driving means freedom. I passed my test a year ago and so I’ve been enjoying getting where I want, when I want. I’m now 18, so having my own car has given me a lot more independence: I no longer have to rely on the taxi of mum and dad!


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