So I am going to let you all in on a little secret. It’s something I’ve always hesitated to tell people about because, each time I do, I get the sense I will never get taken seriously again.

But, for the sake of this blog, I will come out with it: I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and for my summer vacation I went to the new Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Fla,… and it was awesome!

Some background info: I’ve been reading the Harry Potter books since I was 12 years old. Eleven years later, I’m still loyal.

So, in the few days before my journey to the wizarding world, I got to reading through the Harry Potter series (again) and noticed that, even where magic is concerned, young wizards and witches must prove themselves worthy of using magical modes of transportation before the are given any licenses.

The main mode I’m talking about is, not broomsticks, but Apparition. Brooms in the wizarding world are more like bicycles or motorized scooters and therefore are not as highly regulated by the Department of Magical Transportation, but Apparition is tricky and can be very dangerous if not taken seriously.

We learn in book six that in order to properly Apparate, a witch or wizard needs to remember the Three D’s: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. Without these key three reminders, wizards might find that, upon arriving at their destination, that they have “splinched” themselves, or, for the Muggles out there, that they have left a bit of themselves behind. Yes, you may just leave part of your eyebrow, but even that little, minor mistake can make you fail your Apparition test, which you are eligible to take at the age of 17.

Muggle and wizarding teens then, it seems, are not too different when it comes to learning to get yourself from point A to point B. I think we can learn a lot from the Three D’s even if we can’t Apparate. Let’s go through the Three D’s as they would relate to safe driving:

• Destination: Know where you’re going ahead of time. Searching for directions or just letting the GPS bark orders at you can get you into trouble.
• Determination: If you are nervous behind the wheel, make sure you get tons of practice with an older, confident driver so you can pick up their good habits.
• Deliberation: Keep your mind on the road and not on texting, phone calls, or a particularly awesome song on the radio.

So keep all that in mind as you drive around (or make a bold attempt at Apparition) this summer.