Behind the Wheel Abroad

Our Euro Car

I got my driver's license when I was 16 years old.  This is common where I come from - small town Saskatchewan, Canada.  In fact, driving is a major part of most North American's lives.  Our countries are expansive as are our cities and in many cases, public transportation is severely lacking.  Flights are expensive and train travel is practically non-existent.  We're used to driving thousands of kilometres for a trip, through rain, snow and sunshine.

I got my first car in my second year of University.  Prior to that, I always used one of my parents' vehicles (we were a 3 car family.)  Our town of 5000 had no public transportation and was home to two taxis.  Yes, literally 2 taxis.  Despite the post office being 2 blocks from our house, it was normal to drive.  The only places I walked to were school (2 blocks) and the rink (1 block.)  When I moved to Edmonton, a city of a million in Alberta, my time on foot increased mostly due to parking costs but driving was still a major part of my life.  In fact, I couldn't fathom not having a vehicle.  It meant freedom.

When we moved to Gabon, Joe was given a company vehicle which I wasn't allowed to drive.  Like my childhood home, public transit was nearly non-existent and the taxi system and walking was not particularly safe nor efficient so we bought a second vehicle for myself.  It meant everything.  That vehicle made my social life possible in a place where social life was paramount.  Changing my license was no big deal in Gabon - I gave my Canadian permit to an HR representative who showed it to someone in a public office who then attached a passport photo to a white piece of paper which would become my temporary permit.  (Technically, the 3 month temp should have allotted enough time to get my permanent Gabonese license but in actuality, I never received it after 2 years of living there.  We just continually paid the fee and renewed it.)

In Norway, Joe's company leases us a vehicle which I am allowed to drive.  When we arrived, I was nervous to get behind the wheel here.  There are hardly any traffic lights, the roundabouts are intimidating to this Canadian, and the teeny, tiny parking spaces are difficult to navigate.  Securing a home near the train line made it easy for me to avoid.  I walk the 8 minutes to the platform and can be in Sentrum in another 8 minutes - it's actually quicker than if I'd driven myself.  I walk to the grocery store almost daily and for the most part, I really enjoy it.

While I do have a car at my disposal, it requires me to drive Joe the 20 minutes to work at 7 am and pick him up that evening.  It's a hassle and it's usually not necessary.  In the first year of living here, I drove once.  On top of that, getting a license in Norway requires me to pass a driving exam - something no adult ever wants to do again.  As a Canadian (or American or Australian,) we have to surrender our home license within 6 months of moving here and complete the driver's exam within a year.  I procrastinated and missed my window.  Should I want to get a Norwegian driver's permit now, I'd have to complete the classroom sessions as well as the practical exam which would cost me near $2000.

Being from a culture that really values driving, I thought I would feel trapped without a vehicle at my disposal when in fact, I don't at all.  I enjoy walking.  I'm happy to lessen my carbon footprint in a small way and I like the fresh air and the light exercise.  There are times when the weather is absolutely miserable but thankfully, my schedule is pretty flexible and I don't have to leave the house if I don't want to.  The times where I have no choice but to brave the wind and the rain aren't fun but they're few and far between.

I do keep a valid Canadian driver's license allowing me to drive when I'm home and I can still rent cars when abroad although, Joe normally takes the wheel when we're traveling.  He's less nervous about navigating around foreign cities and countries.

Do you (or would you) drive overseas?

[By the way, I posted the answers to last posts' Norwegian name game in the comments.  If you're reading in email, you'll have to click over to the website and scroll down.]