Through osmosis alone, my daughter's anxieties about going to a new school and not knowing anyone seeped straight into my skin. I thought I was reliving preschool all over again. On that first day last August, neither one of us was able to eat breakfast. And, our nervousness was compounded by the fact that she would have to find all her classes while she was still on crutches from foot surgery.

Now, halfway through her second semester as a freshman, the transition from middle school to high school has been smoother than I ever imagined. She has a terrific group of friends, her class work is manageable and she has settled in. So we have passed one major hurdle and are moving on to another—driving.

I confess that I find the idea of setting my daughter free on the freeways terrifying. It's not her skills I'm worried about, it's all the nut cases out there and their complete lack of driving acumen. I might feel calmer about this process if we were learning to drive in Nebraska, but we're not, this is California, the place where car is king. But we had to start sometime, and my kid was chomping at the bit to learn. Yet the question came down to where could we initiate this process without both mother and daughter turning into a complete wreck? It turns out that we found the perfect place for learning the basics—stepping on the gas and the brake, turning and even parking—the parking lot at West Valley Community College.

A couple of weeks ago we headed over for her first lessons. I wasn't sure what kind of teacher I would be—calm, a screamer, or just plain freaked out over the entire process. It turns out I was calm; at least I am in the parking lot. I'm not sure how that is going to translate onto the real streets, but we are still smiling at each other for now.

Besides, going right to the road doesn't even sound practical to me. I don't think any teen should begin his or her driving experience white-knuckling through every maneuver. It's tough enough out there for the experienced driver. I can't imagine what it's like for the rookie, even if that novice is a teenager.

When we switched seats for lesson number one, the first thing we went over was the basics. I had her check the mirrors—learning which buttons adjusted what—put her seat in a comfortable position and, of course, make sure her seat belt was buckled before we even started the car. In the beginning she was naturally shaky—too much gas, braking too hard, turning too wide—but after 30 minutes, I could see she was getting the hang of it and starting to loosen up.

The parking lot lends itself to practicing endless turns, reaching a speed of close to 25 miles an hour on the straight stretch and backing in and out of a parking space. On weekends the staff lot is completely empty, so she could practice without worrying about anything other than an occasional bird or squirrel in our path.

After only a few lessons, she has also developed a new appreciation for other drivers, commenting on how I easily negotiate between the fence getting out of our driveway or noticing when I turn into a tight parking space. Suddenly she sees the road with new eyes. I believe she is going to be a smart and cautious driver. She is a very practical teen with a lot of common sense, and I see that transferring to her driving skills.

So last weekend as we were circling the parking lot, I was actually starting to enjoy the possibilities of having another driver in the house. I began thinking about someone else picking up my son from school or sports, someone else running a last-minute errand and someone else, besides mom, scurrying all over town for necessities. But we still have to get out of that community college parking lot and clock in with a whole lot of parent/teen permit time before we can take that driver's test. And, there's that other major obstacle we have to overcome, being able to afford a third car.

Moryt Milo is the editor of The Willow Glen Resident. She can be contacted at 400.200.1051 or mmilo@svcn.com.