Desperately Need a Vote of Confidence... or a Pep Rally!

OK, so I have only had my driving licence here for just over a month. Since then, I've driven exactly twice by myself because the roads were covered in snow and ice for several weeks. Both trips were a max of about 9 miles through some roads I know very well. Soooo, now the company wants me to drive to Newcastle alone (I think about 30 miles each way to where I am going) and I had come to terms with that, thinking that I pretty much know where I am going, etc. But now, I have just seen the company car I have to drive to get there, and it's a massive 4 x 4 SUV type thing and I am having an absolute panic attack. I can't take my own car because the journey wouldn't be covered by our insurance. I can't take anyone else's car, and I had already arranged borrowing this company car from my work colleague, not knowing it would be so huge. I can't back out because I've been waiting for this opportunity to come through and if I chicken out of going after all the arrangements have been made, then I probably won't get asked to do it again. Most of the trip is on the dual carriageway, which will be fine in this mammoth, but I have to go through some lengthy country roads to get to the dual carriageway and feel I will probably end up buried in the hedges as soon as someone comes toward me or something. OH GOD!!!  I'm totally psyching myself out at this point. Can I get some support here?!

Deep breath Jewlz, you will be fine!    
Is there an alternative route to get to the dual carriageway? If there isn't just try to remember where the passing points are on the country lanes. 
Also, any way that you can do the trip in your car over the weekend so to familiarize yourself?

Oh Jewlz, that's definitely panic inducing!  But just breathe. Definitely if you can ,take up Red's suggestion and do the trip before if at all possible. Also, remember, as an SUV, you're bigger than anything else on the road, so they'll have to yield to you 

Jewlz, you'll be absolutely fine! It's easier to drive a giant car then a small one, you wont be parallel parking or doing turn in the roads with some creepy examiner watching you, you'll be going at your own pace on big roads, almost like being in the US.

On the country roads just go slow and don't worry about it, because you're so huge people will get out of the way for you, so you wont end up stuck in a hedge at all.

You're a good driver with loads of experience driving, relax and enjoy it

Don't Panic!

Just remember.... you'll be bigger than just about anything else on those country roads.  So, really, it's not you who will end up in the bushes.    Channel your inner soccer mom and envision yourself in a shopping mall parking lot, and everything will be fine.

Even though that SUV looks mammoth to you, it's probably not much wider than your car. Longer and higher, but not a whole lot wider. You can always look up the specs online to put your mind at rest. You'll be fine!

Awww, Jewlz, you'll rock it.  Just take it slow. 

When I had to drive to Liverpool airport, I felt the same way.  Because even though it's only 20 miles away, OMG I had never been there before, I would be alone, and I would kill the car and be stranded forever (or, you know, so I thought), so I made myself feel better with lots of contingency plans. I had phone numbers for everyone imaginable (as DH was being PICKED UP at the airport and therefor had abandoned me!) including a few people with cars who could come get me if I did panic and give up. I traced the route on Google Maps so I had a visual of where I was going and things *did* look a little familiar, and I said *screw it* and went at or three miles below the speed limit the entire time, even on the small country roads where people think 80 miles an hour is an appropriate speed. I just gave myself a long time to get there.

You will do great!

You're gonna be great, as everyone else has said. I used to drive an SUV type thing when I was in the States, and I felt exactly the same when I first got it from my dad. In the end, I realised why he wanted me to drive it. You'll definitely be higher up than the other cars, and you'll be able to see at least 2 car lengths ahead of you, so, you'll be able to think ahead and plan better than other drivers will. Just breathe, don't panic. It'll be over before you know it!

This would have me in a panic as well.  However, you will be fine, honestly!  You may even wind up wanting an SUV after you drive it for a day.

I don't like big cars.  I consider DH's BMW 1 series a MASSIVE car in this country with all these narrow roads.  But we had to rent a car not long ago and somehow the only one they had available was a big SUV.  I was terrified!  But once I got in it and got on the way, I actually kind of loved it:-)  And if you don't love it, don't worry because you will adjust to driving it after a little while and be able to get through the day easily! 

And I agree with woadgrrl about channeling your inner soccer mom.  Make it fun:-)

The trip is today... so no time to practice. However, there has been a development.

My sweet neighbour works here, too, and when she passed my desk and I looked at her sweet and lovely face I just burst into tears! I started blubbing about everything. She was very kind and said it was ridiculous for them to expect me to drive that huge car to the toon when I have just passed my test and only driven twice alone. So she took it upon herself to work it all out for me and it ended up that there is a smaller car I can use (a Corsa, thank God!) and so I am still going, but I am so embarrassed about my total meltdown at work that I can't stop crying now. (Don't you hate that? You cry, and then you are so embarrassed about crying that you can't stop crying?!) I think I will just sneak off to my house first for a cup of tea and to adjust my makeup and that before I go off to toon.  

OK, so I made it back alive!  I enjoyed most of the driving (the Corsa was super easy to drive), but got turned around several times. I already had a bad sense of direction to begin with, but it's so much worse here with all the roundabouts and that. I took a wrong exit, ended up going over several giant, confusing multi-lane roundabouts and got completely spun around, and somehow I found my way back to the dual carriageway and got going in the right direction again, which was amazing. I can't say I was ever lost, as I never felt hopeless, but it was an adventure, nonetheless. 

Yay!
And I hear you on the getting lost thing--I have a difficult time with straight lines...throw in circles and it's all over! 

I'm happy for you that things turned out well in the end! I get ever so lost just leaving our front door. Oh well, just one more thing to learn, right? Hurrah for you, again!

Thanks for all the support, ladies! The driving thing is still frustrating me, but I just know that in a year or two, none of this will matter and I will be able to go anywhere I want to go!  That was a big step today, and I am sure there will be more little business journeys soon, so that will just be more practice. Before long, I will be driving to the Metrocentre in Newcastle (a giant mall) to spend all our money. 

Glad it worked out Jewlz!