driving me around the bend

No, this isn't about my kids (although they do drive me crazy at times).

This is about actual driving.  We moved to Seattle 3 weeks ago and I'm able to drive with my valid Ontario license for a little while but wanted to get a Washington state license because it is helpful to have a valid piece of US identification and it needs to be done anyways.

I figured this would be relatively simple, after all I'm moving from Canada to the US, it's not like I'm moving from a foreign country with completely different driving rules and signs.  WRONG.  So far I've made 5 (five!) trips to the Department of Licensing (DOL) and I have done the required written and driving skills tests through a private company ($$) because it is a 4-6 week wait to get a test through the DOL.  Still no license.  It turns out I need to go through a special verification process because I do not have a SSN.  They need to verify (a) my identity, (b) I currently reside in the state of Washington and (c) I plan to stay in WA for a while.  Apparently I have not demonstrated these things despite showing/offering a valid Ontario driver's license, Canadian passport which includes my US entry visa, birth certificate, letter from Jeff's company verifying his employment and our home address, marriage certificate to prove I'm married to the guy with the job, utility bill to our home address with both of our names and mortgage information proving we own our home.  I am now on the list for the verification process which they tell me will take weeks.  On the plus side the guy at the DOL seemed fairly certain I'll pass the verification process (ya think?).   Turns out getting a mortgage and credit card was a breeze, but trying to drive here on a valid license is the tricky step.

Even though I have been driving for more than half of my life, I was still nervous during the driving test.  The guy did not take it easy on me.  I lost points because while driving backwards around a corner (who does that?) I was more than 18 inches away from the curb!  I did manage to parallel park successfully (whew, it's not my strong point).  I wasn't thrilled to learn I had to do the driving test, even less so when I noticed on the DOL webpage you don't need to take a driving test if you hold a valid license from out of state (fair enough), the province of British Columbia (hmm, still Canada but attached to WA so fine), Germany (what!?) and South Korea (seriously!?!).

Despite my frustration with the department of licensing, a lot of things have been checked off the list...cell phones, home phone/internet/tv, getting the kids registered for school, finding a new pediatrician, getting epipen prescription filled for Jillian, getting updated immunization shots for the kids and finding a new gymnastics place for the girls.  So I'm not complaining (okay, maybe I'm complaining a little).  But when I see how many hoops I have to jump through to get these everyday things in order to live here in the US, I can only imagine how difficult it must be for people who don't have the secure job, ability to buy a home to get settled and resources to pay for things like private driving testing to move things along faster.  So despite the complaining, I am thankful for all the things that are done and how well most things have gone so far.  I'm thankful the DOL is state and not federal so this process wasn't held up by the entire federal government shutting down.  I'm also very happy I used to watch The West Wing, because otherwise I'd have no knowledge of the US government at all!