Permitted

While Noa has enthusiastically supported friends in their quest to obtain their driver's license (Noa aced Maryland's test as a sophomore) and has provided numerous, unsolicited driving tips to their parents and sibling for years, Noa has been reticent about acquiring their own permit since they became eligible last year. We were patient for the first six months or so, but facing a summer free of work, either paid or volunteer, and only a single one week class (to work on the college application process which they've also been avoiding), Allen threw down a gauntlet: Noa had to get a permit before we left for Iowa (with the hope that they would drive once we were there).

This was more challenging than anticipated. Having obtained all the necessary documentation (Allen's been burned at the DMV before) and working around some scheduling issues in order to take the test, it still took Noa a few tries before they were able to pass the exam, despite getting 100 percent on the online practice tests. In their defense, I would assert the DC's DOT's is mistaken and in fact HAWK is not an acronym for High-intensity Activated Crosswalk.

Nevertheless, Noa persisted and was awarded a DC learner's permit two days before we we left town. However, given the brevity of our time in Iowa and the absence of deserted parking lots or other safe spaces for inaugural driving attempts, Allen and Noa decided to wait until we returned to DC, where they were free to venture out to the former RFK parking lots to work on all the turns as well as proper distancing from ice tea containers (Allen has a method!!!).

We are trusting the process, and accept that the process takes time. Still, Noa has a full 2 years to get the 50 hours of supervised driving under their belt, so hopefully, they'll be driving confidently in time for our 2027 Iowa visit...