However, it wasn't until Silverstone 2022 where I started to become interested in the sport, along with my sister who had caught herself up to speed about a year earlier. Perhaps that is why Carlos Sainz is one of my favourite current drivers? I'll remember that race for a while as we had family visiting who were running late, barely getting in the door before lights out. Unbeknownst to us, the race would be halted almost immediately and I wouldn't realise how deadly this crash could've been until a few weeks later. As horrible as it seems, this was my incentive to begin regularly watching.

Months went by and my knowledge of F1 became larger and larger. My capability to hold information is something I pride myself on and it's probably the reason why I've done so well in school, college and hopefully soon to be university. The new year was approaching and so does the badgering about New Years Resolutions. I usually can't keep to these as last years was to set up an Etsy shop for my artwork, but improving my art had proven more difficult than I thought. I was determined to find something I could keep to. Then something sparked my interest.

My parents had mentioned track marshalling to my sister a few times but her schedule was always so busy that it was never really possible. It seemed like a strange thing for me to jump into all of a sudden but the more I read testomonies, the more I realised this is something I wanted to do. This would be my New Years Resolution: to become a track marshal.

I'm lucky that I only live an hour drive from Brands Hatch, one of the most popular race tracks in the UK, but there was still one problem: there was no way of getting public transport there and I still didn't have a driving licence after my first fail a few days into the year. Everything went on hold, so during this time I filled my time by trying to find any books in my local library about Formula One until I expanded into the likes of MotoGP and IndyCar. This search only lead me to find 'DRIVEN BY KEVIN EASON' and 'THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FORMULA ONE'

By this point, everyone was deciding to make bullet journals for the new F1 season. On the other hand, I had (and still have!) my hands on my nifty history book. My crazy mind came up with the idea that the best way to learn was to write and write and write, thus making the decision to make a bullet journal for the history of Formula One, spanning from its official inauguration in 1950, starting with two pages a year. It was insane but I've already managed to fill a 250 page journal with musical reviews so how hard can it be?

But back to the main portion of this section.

A few weeks had gone by and my driving instructor messaged me once again. To my delight, I had another driving test booked for two weeks time and everything inside of me needed me to get it right. Surprisingly everyone tells you that your second test is less nerve-racking than your first as you know what to expect; definitely wasn't the case for me. But nonetheless, I passed! Ironically, I nearly failed in the exact same place on my first test but was let off on a technicality as there were roadworks. But finally, things could get moving...I thought.

I never fully realised the expense of driving. I was just able to get to and from my 2 part-time jobs and earn savings in the meantime but nothing that would prepare me for university. This is when I had to cave and look for another job, preferably in the evening as my other jobs were only mornings and setting me up for my degree; quitting them was an absolute no. Months went by of applying for jobs everyday, I was fairly certain that I'd have to wait another year to marshal until I finally got a call, leading me to get this job a week later. It's not the most fascinating job but the hours are good and it pays well, more than enough for me to get to Brands Hatch every other week and get savings for university.

And that's pretty much where I'm at now. I can't wait to share my adventures with you all!

Again or so I thought!

Honestly, I could not be making this up! The day after I wrote this section, I was unfortunately involved in a car accident due to a stupid mistake on my part. My Mazda 2 in aurora blue that I loved to pieces (and nicknamed 'Cap' after Captain America) was almost completely destroyed and ultimately had to be written off. Only 2 months after passing my test, this was mortifying and I felt an eternity of guilt towards my parents who helped me buy it 2 years prior. I was uninjured but my dreams of going to Brands Hatch anytime soon were gone.

This was genuinely one of the worst moments of my life. Getting to my two jobs involved taxis or my parents quickly getting me from one to another. If I was being honest to myself, I was very depressed and emotional for the next 3 weeks which felt like forever since I was so busy with work and my parents would have to be the ones to view a car (my dad knows cars very well). Searching for more cars became another stress: they were too expensive, too many miles, too damaged and it seemed like getting another that I loved would be impossible. It even came to a point where the day before, the car we were going to see had been sold and under 12 hours before leaving we were looking for new ideas.

This Saturday had left me with dread. My parents were very adamant that they didn't want me getting a Fiat 500 (a car that I think is BEAUTIFUL) as they didn't think they were safe enough and I would regret a 3 door car. There I was at work, with my parents sending me photos of a multitude of cars but none of which made me excited. It was only when I got home from my first shift that my dad sent me a message saying:

"Here's your new car"

When I saw this car for the first time, I must admit I was very nervous. It was one of the more expensive cars than I would have liked so that was my first question. Luckily, the price had been knocked down to make it affordable for me (well, I'd need to borrow some money until my next pay check and my insurance ROSE but it worked). But from the photos, I loved the colour and they way it looked, nearly no damage at all in fact which was great for a 13 year old car!

As they made their way home, I asked if they could pop into my work quickly so I could take 10 minutes to look at it. 2 and a half hours later, they arrived and my other coworker took over from me for a moment. This was when the excitement started to set in.

It was a stunning Mazda 2 Tamura: nice fabric patterned seats, a carbon setup around the dash, even a rev gauge and computer that showed the miles I had in my car (this is when I realised how basic my previous car was!) and the best part about it is that I paid for it and can happily call it mine!

But What Now?