I started driving for Uber.

This is what happened on my first day...

I went to the carwash, vacuumed the seats and I poured starbursts in the center next to the cup holders.

I turned out of the car wash and went "online". My mind raced with what would actually happen. My pepper spray dangling from my keychain and my Taser sitting in between my legs. I didn't have time to go back offline before I got my first " ping "

My first customer was a man named John. He lives two minutes away. Now my heart was racing.

"Okay, I'm a pretty young woman about to allow a stranger into my car. I'll be fine. And if not, I've got an array of weapons."

I pulled up to the row house and Uber flashed on my cell phone screen to show me that I'd reached the destination.

I put the car in park, eyeing the two men standing on the side the road. Both with white hair. They stared at me but didn't turn their bodies.

"Okay... Neither of you are John."

I got out of the car and saw a few doors down, a tall, tanned young man with a beard, a snapback and an outfit I've probably seen in Urban Outfitters...

He smiled and waved, jogging over to my car. I went around the car to shake his hand and open the passenger door for him. He was really surprised by my kind gestures and got in, excited that I had A/C.

I drove him downtown to meet up with his friends and we talked about a lot of things. How he was moving cross country with his dog, how he worked in a paint lab, and how much he enjoyed the city.

John was awesome. I could see us being friends.

In fact, when I went to drop him off, I almost said "I'll see you later!" But instead, I said, "Good luck on your move!" And he was off, saying how he'd give me a 5 star rating on Uber.

I did it.

My first ride.

I wasn't attacked. I wasn't uncomfortable. I wasn't anything but happy to help someone like me get from point A to point B. And it felt good.

As soon as John closed to door, I got another ping. A girl named Keisha, 10 minutes away. So I went on to my next ride.

I did 5 rides total on my first day at $11/hour and it was actually kind of fun. I could see myself doing this again. I probably will this week...

This post is for all you ladies looking for an extra form of income and you're not sure what your options are. Uber isn't as scary as it sounds!

Good luck! 🚗👍

Note: Although this post is to promote trying new things without fear, I just want to say that my driving experience was in the daytime and I went offline by 5 PM because I had previous plans. I think anyone, male or female, should always have means of protecting themselves when doing independent contacting work like this. Don't ever let your guard down but don't be so scared that you miss out on making extra money!