YES!

 I didn’t care who saw me. Today I stood on Myrtle Avenue, threw my fists in the air, shouted, “YES!” and did a little happy dance, all by myself. 

You may know how it feels when you accomplish something you never thought you could ever do, and it took everything you had, but you couldn’t quit because the only way around it was through it. It would have been so easy to give up, but you pressed on and were victorious. It’s in that moment that you know life is good and you’re damn good! YES!

When I was a kid, this seemed to be a normal part of my life. It mostly happened when I was facing something new, and I didn’t think I could do it, like learning to skateboard or ride a bike, when I tied my own shoes or climbed to the tippy top of a tree. I knew in those moments that I could “do anything if I put my mind to it.” (Was anyone else raised to believe this total poppycock about themselves?) 

Such moments of triumph have been rare for me as an adult. It happened when I defended my dissertation, and I left the room while my committee conferred before calling me back and announcing, “Congratulations, Doctor Kraft.” How did I survive running that never-ending gauntlet? How did I persevere when every step of the way I was ready to throw in the towel? Because I was amazing, that’s how! YES! 

This week I was determined to take care of all my DMV stuff. First, I needed to get a NY driver’s license. I was advised to go to Long Island for this, which is what I did. The whole way there I kept having flashbacks of the time I waited for hours at the DMV in North Carolina only to be told I didn’t have the correct paperwork. This time I brought a stack of papers with me. I was prepared for any possibility. Of course, then I had too many papers to sort through when the time came, but the woman who helped me was a gem. Still, the drive was long and included a number of scary moments and jams along the way. It took up most of my day. 

I spent the balance of the day on the phone getting New York car insurance, which became effective today. So, I was determined that this is the day when I would have NY plates on my car. 

This time I opted to stay in the city, and I can only say that for this out-of-stater, it was the most harrowing experience I’ve had behind the wheel of a car since I drove down a mountain alone at night during a blizzard. (Am I really going to get used to this?) I left at 9:30 am for a 10:15 appointment. My phone told me it took 25 minutes to get there. I arrived at 11:00. (90 minutes to drive 8 miles. Isn’t that less than 10 mph?) And my GPS was worthless. I realized this while I was sitting in a complete gridlock. Suddenly my phone was taking me to a highway, not an address, the Van Wyck Expressway, which I was on at the time—multiple lanes going each way and feeder roads beside them… all at a complete standstill. No matter what I did, my GPS wasn’t going to get me there. I actually had to stop and ask for directions. (Can’t remember the last time I’ve resorted to that. A tip of the hat to the parking lot attendant at the New York Times who helped me.) I still don’t know how I got there. Well, after waiting for an hour, they finally called my number and I had all the necessary paperwork, so I left with plates in hand. 

Next, I found a garage in the neighborhood to do my inspection. This is when the story turns from terrible to terrific for me. I love the garage owner and have decided this is the one I’ll be going to in the future.  After leaving the car off, I walked home and made a stop at a place that’s already become a favorite for me. Every day they make homemade honey ginger tea that tingles my tongue in the best possible way. About an hour later, when I returned for my car, it had NY plates and the inspection sticker in my window. 

The next step was mailing my old plates back to Maryland. It turns out the Glendale post office was just around the corner, so my garage guy said I could leave my car parked at his place while I walked the plates over. This was the first time for me at this little post office. I prepared myself to wait in yet another line and discovered I was the only customer in there! I mailed the plates, made my exit, and that’s where it happened. I stepped onto the sidewalk, threw my hands in the air and… “YES!” I am becoming a bad-ass New Yorker.