Today was momentous for me. I did something I haven't done in almost 11 years. I bought a "new" car. Can you believe I've been driving the same car for over 10 years? It was really quite an ordeal for me, although I didn't let on much. For some reason, I felt a tug on the old heart strings and wanted to shed a tear as I handed over the keys to my old, but good Pathfinder.
Not many people drive a car for that long. It was my first car that was totally loaded. I can remember feeling like I had arrived when I drove off the lot with it. It was also the first car we bought after getting married (my first time buying a car ever!) and it's been a workhorse. When I first got it, I never pictured having to pack five of us into four seats! That was sans kids. Now, almost eleven years later, the time had come to invest in some serious preventative maintenance that wasn't going to be cheap. Add to it that I desperately needed that third row of seats, my parents offered to trade us their much newer/bigger SUV that was no longer being used (and sell mine)....and the time came to say goodbye to ol' faithful.
In nearly eleven years, that car had never had the first problem. I didn't care that it was old and dated. It was still in great shape and I hadn't had a car payment in years. That alone is worth it's weight in gold! It never left me hanging on the side of the road (except when I ran over a nail and blew the tire). I trusted it completely and it still drives like a champ. It was nothing short of amazing how much stuff I'd managed to fit into and haul in that thing! Sofas, tables, mattresses, etc. On one move, I drove 6.5 hours with it packed to capacity with barely enough room left for me, the dog, and one kid in a car seat. She never failed me, though.
I felt like the biggest traitor today as I watched my dad drive off with it. But... after a lot of prayer, I knew it was time to say goodbye. Maybe someone will buy her that loves her as much as I did. I never dreamed there would come a day that I would have a hard time getting rid of a thirteen year old car! Must mean I'm getting old. Bummer! Oh, wait...they don't say that anymore...do they?! Like I said, I must be getting old.
Not many people drive a car for that long. It was my first car that was totally loaded. I can remember feeling like I had arrived when I drove off the lot with it. It was also the first car we bought after getting married (my first time buying a car ever!) and it's been a workhorse. When I first got it, I never pictured having to pack five of us into four seats! That was sans kids. Now, almost eleven years later, the time had come to invest in some serious preventative maintenance that wasn't going to be cheap. Add to it that I desperately needed that third row of seats, my parents offered to trade us their much newer/bigger SUV that was no longer being used (and sell mine)....and the time came to say goodbye to ol' faithful.
In nearly eleven years, that car had never had the first problem. I didn't care that it was old and dated. It was still in great shape and I hadn't had a car payment in years. That alone is worth it's weight in gold! It never left me hanging on the side of the road (except when I ran over a nail and blew the tire). I trusted it completely and it still drives like a champ. It was nothing short of amazing how much stuff I'd managed to fit into and haul in that thing! Sofas, tables, mattresses, etc. On one move, I drove 6.5 hours with it packed to capacity with barely enough room left for me, the dog, and one kid in a car seat. She never failed me, though.
I felt like the biggest traitor today as I watched my dad drive off with it. But... after a lot of prayer, I knew it was time to say goodbye. Maybe someone will buy her that loves her as much as I did. I never dreamed there would come a day that I would have a hard time getting rid of a thirteen year old car! Must mean I'm getting old. Bummer! Oh, wait...they don't say that anymore...do they?! Like I said, I must be getting old.
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| via drivesteady.com |
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Congrats on your new car I have you bet mine is 18 years old, I say every spring OK this year I;m going to buy one... But the darn think keeps running So another year goes by...
ReplyDeleteOh- I have to tell you- We are going MONDAY to buy a new car! My own in 11 years old (this is the girl that had a new car every couple of years) but I had a loaded Toyota Sequoia and it still runs like a charm...and looks like a new car because I take good care of it...BUT it has 310,000!!!!! miles on it...so it's time. I think my hubby wants to save it as a "back up car" for the winters here because it is so good in snow...and we have the room to garage it. We'll see. I, too, am feeling a bit teary-eyed thinking of getting rid of it! And I AM old! Bummer!;>) xo Diana
ReplyDeleteI never thought I would get emotional about getting rid of my very first car that I got when I was 16. 8 years later, it hasn't exactly been a poster child for reliability, but I loved that car. We just bought it's replacement on Saturday! All I want is to find a loving home for it.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new car!
I always cry when I give up my old car, so I totally understand. You'll get over it though when you drive around in the new one, trust me :)
ReplyDeleteStacy
Whoa, only a few are able to drive their first car for a decade, and even fewer can attest to having avoided major repairs completely. But the picture made me laugh out loud! That's a crazy dog! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI know that saying goodbye to your car, which’s been reliable and gives you comfort for ten years, must have been tough. You had lots of reasons not to give it up. But think of it this way: you will know that your beloved auto is in the hands of her new owner who will take care of her like you did. Anyway, I’m hoping your new car will be as great as your old one. Or even better!
ReplyDelete