I learned to drive on my grandpa’s old, stick-shift Jeep Wrangler that we’d steer through the woods that backed up to their farmhouse. 🌳🍃🌾 I was 14 at the time and, getting a taste of the driving life, I was chomping at the bit for my 16th birthday so I could legally take to the roads without keeping my eyes peeled for tree trunks and groundhogs. As anxious as I was for that day, Sept 20, 2018 definitely rivaled it – the day I got my Saudi license.
In June 2018, the Crown Prince repealed the long-standing ban on women driving in the kingdom. My first year here I had to take Uber to and from work everyday (as well as anywhere else I wanted to go). It was an exhausting year of smelly cars, inappropriately chatty men drivers, and always being on edge to make sure they were following. the. dang. map. Needless to say, as soon as we returned after our summer break, getting a license appointment was top priority.
This little card gave me back my independence, dignity, and what felt like an entry into the Daytona 500 (the roads are crazy here but I kinda love it). 🛣🚘
As elated as I was, I’m mindful of how much more significant the repeal was for Saudi women – many who had been fighting years and years for this right.
I still get excited when I pass women drivers on the road, though it’s been over a year now. I give a little smile and nod as I zoom past in my Jeep (it’s come full circle 😁). Living here has helped me take less things for granted.
