Driving lessons in the murder capital of the world

I learned to drive in Kingston, Jamaica in the early 2000s.

My family was posted there.

Kingston had the highest murder rate in the world at the time, and my local instructor liked to keep things interesting.

He’d welcome me with a ‘Wagwan bruddah!’ and a toothy grin.

His car was an old souped-up Nissan he’d rigged with engine boosters (I’m serious).

The streets were alive with chaos. Stray goats wandered across the roads as a distant gunshot popped. Potholes appeared out of nowhere, and intersections felt more like experiments in survival than traffic management.

I was terrified at first, clutching the wheel like it owed me money.

But over time I started to feel the rhythm of it. My grip loosened, my reactions sharpened.

My confidence grew.

And today, I can enjoy driving in random countries with far more ease.

What struck me later was how much that experience taught me about the value of doing things a little different.

The best kind of learning doesn’t always happen in comfortable, controlled environments.

It happens when you’re tested, when you’re put in situations most people wouldn’t attempt.

If you can handle learning in unconventional situations, you can handle far more than most people ever will.

This goes for writing and other things too. The topics that make you hesitate are often the ones worth exploring. They can feel vulnerable or scary, and that’s ok.

There’s opportunity here.

Courage rewards you with exhilarating adventures.

By the way, my course Online Writing Alchemy is designed to help you channel that courage into writing that resonates in a way that many won’t match.

If you’re ready to push past the safe stuff and see what’s possible, this is your time.

Learn more about Online Writing Alchemy here.

Peace,

Alex