Everyone knows of that sweet right of passage at age 16: getting your permit and license. I vividly remember going to the DMV the day after my 16th birthday... I had studied fervently for weeks! I was so nervous, but so excited! I took the vision test, filled out my paperwork, and sat down to take the test. When I finished, I took my test to the moderator, and watched as he graded it. I watched him make an X on one of the questions... Oh, no! I stood motionless as he made another... and another... but then, he handed me the test and said, "Congrats!" I had missed three questions. On any other test, I would have been disappointed, but on this test, I didn't care! With less than six incorrect answers, I had passed! I took my picture, and held that new warm piece of plastic up to my heart... I could drive! I found my mom, and I asked if I could drive back to school. She said yes, so I got in the old green 1997 Ford Crown Victoria, a car only four years younger than I was, but I didn't care. I was driving it! We successfully got back to school and I handed the keys over to my mom. I couldn't keep them, but it didn't matter because I COULD DRIVE.
Fast forward to six months later, and it was time for the driving test. Long story short: I failed the first time. AND I'M STILL BITTER ABOUT IT. According to the guy that failed me, I made a rolling stop on the very last element of the test, BUT I SWEAR I DIDN'T. Whatever. A week later, I took the test again and passed! I could finally drive on my own! I adopted the Crown Vic, a car with which I shared my name, so we immediately bonded. I called it "The Green Bean," which, to this day, I still think is clever. The trunk wouldn't open when it was cold, the battery connectors leaked when it was hot, and the seatbelt in the back seat didn't work, but it was still my first car, something everyone remembers for the rest of their lives.
Fast forward to six months later, and it was time for the driving test. Long story short: I failed the first time. AND I'M STILL BITTER ABOUT IT. According to the guy that failed me, I made a rolling stop on the very last element of the test, BUT I SWEAR I DIDN'T. Whatever. A week later, I took the test again and passed! I could finally drive on my own! I adopted the Crown Vic, a car with which I shared my name, so we immediately bonded. I called it "The Green Bean," which, to this day, I still think is clever. The trunk wouldn't open when it was cold, the battery connectors leaked when it was hot, and the seatbelt in the back seat didn't work, but it was still my first car, something everyone remembers for the rest of their lives.
The Green Bean and I had a good year-and-a-half together, until it was time to pass her along to another loving owner. But that meant one thing: I was carless. It was December of my senior year, and I needed a car! Then came one of the happiest and most exciting times of my life: new car shopping. I was blessed with amazing circumstances and I ended up with the means to buy a new car with my own real money. I had looked online and knew exactly what kind of car I wanted. I asked my mom, and a few days later, we went to "look." But of course, that day, I found my dream car. However, we thought about it and made a smart decision not to buy it that day. We talked to my grandpa, and the next day, my grandpa and I went shopping again. I still can't decide if this was a good or bad idea. To spare you some of the pain and suffering that I endured that day, I'll just say that a God-sent car salesman named Ricco spend more than 7 hours answering my grandpa's questions that day. We spent the entire day in the dealership, but at the end of the day, I had signed for my brand-new black 2011 Nissan Cube.
I have now had my car for a little over two years. I LOVE HER. She currently needs an oil change and has almost 25,000 miles and a cracked windshield from the drastic cold, but she is perfect nonetheless. Her asymmetry, refrigerator-style hatch door, LED floor lights, and NAV system make her a wonderful, reliable car that is small, but perfect for a college student. She gets great gas mileage and is extremely fun to drive. She's quirky and very different, just like her owner. Every day, I'm excited to drive my Cube and I can always depend on her to get me from point A to point B. I'm proud to own my own car and I hope that she is mine for many years to come!
Sincerely,
T
Sincerely,
T