Driving in North Dakota

Carla did you drive before you came to live in North Dakota or did you have to learn to drive when you came here?

So when I moved here, I already knew how to drive. I wasn't that expert but I will still end up novice beginner type. But I was used to driving a stick shift car or manual transmission car that's what I was learning to drive back into Philippines. And then when I moved here in North Dakota, I already had a Tennessee license because that's where I first arrived. So when I moved here, I just had to endorse that licensed card so that I can get the North Dakota driver's license so that was easy.

But when my husband did he had to do the the actual driving test and they have a parallel driving here. And I said, Oh, thank God, I am not an expert in parallel driving. They got it already I just had to surrender my Tennessee driver's license and then get a North Dakota, I would have failed. Because I wasn't that good with parallel. I'm not sure if that is the same for all the DMVs in the other places but in this mark there is a parallel driving involved when you do the actual driving test.

One other thing is when I came here, I also had the chance to do Uber and Lyft that was already available because when I was pregnant, I didn't really like to drive, I was too lazy to drive I just wanted to get picked up and then dropped off so that was plenty of options.

And then I know that there are buses here as well. I see people taking them. There are routes that buses go to. So that's also available but a huge necessity is to have really your own vehicle especially during the winter time. Because you can never predict the weather if you need to go from this place to this place. So that's why it's highly recommendable and even if your car, let's say that you only have like a sedan type of car so most of the sedans type of car are two wheel drive or front wheel drive, you can have the option to change into a winter tire, which I did when I had a RAV4 back in 2017, I had to change to all winter tires and then I had it changed again once winter was over. So that's another option. They can also choose if they want you to have a change on all winter tire if they want to. I still have my winter tires.

We have lots of international nurses coming to to North Dakota so but I think it's not just in North Dakota where most people drive a car. There are very few cities in the United States that have very good like in New York City, maybe or San Francisco but most places in the United States. You know, most people will drive a car.

Just in addition to that, what's nice about here you have a huge parking space and free. Even in the street along the street, it's free. Because when we  were in Minnesota, we had to pay for it, even if it was just 30 minutes. Here is free access to anyone, anytime, anywhere. That's very rare with a parallel parking. Only in downtown.

Well, those are good things to know. Thank you