Progressive Driving

I think I have had the perfect situation for preparing for the driving experiences I have had. When I was young, my Dad would let me sit on his lap and steer the truck on the old logging roads while out gathering firewood. Then, eventually, he let us actually drive when we were big enough to reach the pedals and see over the wheel. At 15, my mom let me take her car to basketball practice every Saturday, using the 'back roads'. Once I turned 16, Dad spent countless hours with me driving down the streets of Prince George, parallel parking on 3rd Avenue till I got it right. It was a mild paced city, perfect for learning how to drive properly and safely, even in the snow and ice. Fast forward to school in Edmonton, a bigger city with divided, multi lane roads and freeways. It was there I learned the proper way to navigate through a traffic circle, or round-about, from a taxi driver. I then had to take my first professional driving course for my job, where I was to drive numerous vehicles large and small through the mountain passes. It was a defensive driving course where you learn to anticipate moves of the drivers all around.
Fast forward again to getting married, moving to Houston, Texas...the 4th most populous city in the US. I was SCARED to drive there...freeways, exits, not really sure where I was going. I would actually take frontage roads for miles so I didn't have to get on the freeways. I eventually got the hang of naviagting the highways and by-ways, and spent numerous hours making my way through rush hour Galleria traffic.
Now that I am in Kuwait, I feel so lucky to have had these past, progressively challenging cities in which to drive. It is a free for all, rules not apply place to drive. I actually feel sorry for anyone who has to LEARN how to drive here, as there is no way to learn properly. Apparently it is mandatory to have professional training to get a license for the first time here, so that is good, I guess. I don't think I will be signing up anytime soon to be a driving instructor here ;)
In my years of driving, I am happy to say I have had 2 incidents: A slide into a ditch from the ice, and having my Dad's truck slide down an icey driveway, scaping the egde along a light pole :(  DAMN ICE- I hope to continue my streak of safe driving - no ice here!

I am SO looking forward to driving the back roads and secondary highways in Canada in the next few weeks. I may even stop on the side of the road (because I CAN), roll the window down, breathe in the fresh air...and enjoy the pleasure of being there.