71. Learn to drive a stick shift vehicle.

I have these goals that I've been working on, 101 of them to be exact. I have 1001 days to complete them and though the numbers seem daunting, they're not so bad when taken in stride.

The latest quest has been to tackle goal number 71) Learn to drive a stick shift vehicle.

I've tried to accomplish this off and on throughout the years starting shortly after I got my license, driving around my high school parking lot in my Dad's big blue Aerostar. I once tried with my neighbor/best friend back in 2004, grinding the gears of his brand new vehicle in the middle of the night. An exboyfriend tried to teach me, though his patience was limited and I wound up crying at the steering wheel, and then my brother later took me around the neighborhood in vain attempts to get me driving stick. I live in an area that is basically one large hill, so not only did that lesson run short, but I never got behind of the wheel of a manual transmission car again.

That is, until I sent out a request on Facebook for someone to play the role of teacher for a girl who seemed stick-shift impaired. John H. answered the call, and within weeks, I was perched in the front seat of his truck.

Were we successful? You be the judge.

Facebook, link here.