Growing up in a family of six, going on trips would have been nearly impossible without our 2002 Ford Excursion. I remember going to the ford dealership with my parents and turning in our old purple, Chrysler, mini van for the sleek shiny white car that looked equivalent to the size of a small bus. It was an eight seater, not the most stylish vehicle but deemed the most practical by my parents.

Just last week, while I was up at school, my family took the Excursion back to that same dealership where they had bought it 14 years ago and turned it in. It's weird to admit this, but a little part of me was sad to see it go. I missed the chance to say goodbye.

For 14 years that car was a traveling companion. It took us to Florida quite a few times. It helped us explore some of the most beautiful places in MI. It drove us to and from travel soccer tournaments all over the map. It safely carried me and my best friends to school each day. It carried our family activities, our camper, our dirt bikes, without it we wouldn't have been able to travel and explore the place where we live.

In a weird way, my family is closer because of that car, the six of us being stuck on a trip for 12 hours up north was a bonding experience.

It was the first car that me and my older two siblings drove. Each of us dreaded the day that we were told by my parents that we would have to drive it to high school. It was insanely tough to park and compared to some of our friend's cars, it wasn't extremely stylish. The brakes were a little touchy and once when my sister was driving to school, it stalled.

After a few months of driving it to and from school, I learned to enjoy it. I could give as many friends of mine a ride home, even though the radio didn't always work, it gave me peace of mind to sometimes just spend a drive in silence. It played my the 1975 CD's and thankfully, it's air conditioning worked like a charm, because the windows didn't.

Thank you.

You took us places that we sometimes didn't want to go, the dentist, my high school job, once I even got lost in a sketchy part of town for a few hours while driving it around.

You protected me. During senior year, I drove over a patch of ice and hit a tree. I left the scene without a scratch.

You helped move me into college, into the next step of my life, you were stacked to the brim with everything I needed.

You were the vessel that helped move us forward. Physically and both figuratively, I drove you everywhere, to my last day of high school, to my high school graduation, to my last homecoming dance.

Even though you didn't always make it smoothly through some trips, you always kept me on my toes. This summer you especially found a way to give me a lot of trouble. You wouldn't turn on, you needed a new battery, but, we always kept fixing you, every single time. Maybe because you weren't just a car you were more than that, you were the holder of family memories.

That car holds more memories than most people hold in their hearts. Thanks for getting me places safe, thanks for teaching me that when you love something you fix it instead of giving up on it.

We will love you forever Big White Bus, no new car could ever replace the memories and joy that you have brought my family, friends, and me.