An Über-Daunting Ride

I finally took my first Uber ride this past Tuesday. Before I get started, I know what you must be thinking. Alas, it’s true. Before this week, I had never once taken an Uber anywhere — not even with friends or family! You also might be wondering why I’m even bothering to write a post about this. Because after all, it is just Uber!

When I started this blog, it was a bit of a shot in the dark. It was a minuscule step outside of my comfort zone, and I want to document my life as genuinely and as truthfully as I can. I want my posts to be bursting with my favorite things I’ve already done, but also a lot of my firsts. I want this blog to reflect who I am. I want it to be real. I want it to be just like life — exhilarating and wonderful and terrifying and glorious and everything in between.

So that is why I’m writing about this experience, and why I’ll write about many of my future experiences — simply because it is one.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t step out of my comfort zone. Like, ever. Imagine a circle. A small, tiny, slightly cramped circle. Now imagine me inside it, with everything I could ever want within — my house, my bed, my friends, my family, books, Netflix, food… That is my comfort zone. I like it. It’s safe and it’s cozy and warm, and I’d be very happy never leaving it.

But that wasn’t exactly what my dad had in mind on Tuesday. He was out with his work buddies for lunch at a restaurant nearby his office, watching the World Cup game between England and Colombia. I was quite happy at home, besides the fact that I hadn’t had any human contact in a little while. It was kind of boring, to be honest. There are only so many books to read and shows to watch and one-sided conversations with pets a girl can take! And with my friends working their summer jobs now, and my mother and sister out of town, hanging out with people didn’t seem like it was going to be a possibility.

So, you can probably guess what happened next: my dad invited me out to have lunch with him. He said he could pick me up during the halftime portion of the game, so I said yes, despite the fact that I was still in my pajamas. And the fact that my hair looked like a bird had made a nest of it overnight. And the fact that I hadn’t yet showered. All good fun, right? But I still had time to get ready, so I wasn’t too worried.

It was only once I’d got out of the shower and had changed that I saw a new text from my dad, saying he was going to get an Uber to come and pick me up instead. I was instantly launched into panic mode. Would I have enough time to finish getting ready? Where was my house key? Did I have to pay the driver, or did my dad do that already? I had absolutely no clue how it was supposed to work. Even at eighteen, I was still an Uber virgin, after all.

Overall, the experience was fine. The driver got to my house on time, didn’t swerve in and out of lanes, and got me where I needed to go. It was basically like a taxi ride, and I wish I hadn’t worried so much beforehand. The driver wasn’t especially chatty, but neither was I, and I busied myself on my phone for most of the ten-minute trip. My dad gave the driver five stars on the app, and I had a nice lunch out with him and his coworkers, who are all really lovely. And England won the game! Whoop!

Moral of the story: Uber isn’t that bad. If it’s your first time, try not to freak out like I did. It’ll get you nowhere, and it’ll probably be for nothing! Good luck on all your future car rides!

Anna xx