Failing Better Is Not That Easy

Sometimes you need a break to catch that upward mobility of failure

Taru Anniina Liikanen
Forge

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Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash

I’m a bad driver. There, I said it.

Back home in Finland, I was so bad at driving that when my Mom was trying to teach me, we often just sat in the car, laughing our asses off at how bad I was. I had to take the driving test twice, and I barely passed on my second try.

On top of not having any spatial awareness, I’ve always been anxious, so driving in traffic, among other cars, was hell for me. The 5-minute rush hour of my home town of 100,000 people made me sweat, not to even mention driving long-distance, having to pass another car on the road or driving on a highway.

When I did get my license, I slowly got better. Okay, not really.

Then, at 21, I left the country.

At 36, I’ve never owned a car, nor do I want to. Call me a hippie, but I think it’s an unnecessary pain in a big city with amazing public transportation.

I only drive when I go to Finland. Still, I drive better than I used to, even without practice. Why?

Because I’ve lived in two major cities, and I’ve seen truly chaotic traffic. The Finnish rush hour is a piece of cake now.

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