Last week, I drove my car for the last time. I never thought I would get emotional about a car. My family has always leased cars. My parents have had about 10 minivans throughout my childhood but trading in one car for another never fazed me while I was growing up.
But then, it was my turn to start driving, and that's when I realized it is possible to get emotional about a car. In 2013, my family leased a Honda Civic. This was the car that I learned how to drive in. I passed the road test in it (after a second trip to the MVC). This car practically went through my entire senior year of high school with me. I drove home from my last swim practices, theater rehearsals, and piano lessons in that car before I left for college. I drove it to my lifeguarding job every day during the summer. This car has been a part of every life crisis and heartbreak and every success and milestone for the past two years—my senior year of high school, my freshman year of college, and some of sophomore year.
Last week, I picked up my best friends to go out for dinner over Thanksgiving break. We had planned to make a quick trip to McDonald's, but to make the most out of my time with my car, I drove from my house in North Jersey to a McDonald's near the border of New York instead of the one two towns away from me (I actually feel a little guilty about this because I may or may not have traded in the car smelling like chicken nuggets and French fries).
I live a couple of miles from a wealthy neighborhood on a steep hill. My friends and I like to drive up there and look through the windows of each mansion as we drive up the hill, so I drove up the hill in my Civic for one last time after dinner. At the top of the hill, we could see the New York City skyline from behind the houses. It was a breathtaking experience to pull over at the top of the hill, appreciate the scenery, and think about life. It was the perfect way to end the night. Then, after a last night of rides in my car, my family and I traded in the car the next day for our next lease.
I hope my car's next owner appreciates the things I took for granted while I had it. We don't think about this often, but our cars are with us for so many moments in our lives. Trading in my first car made me think about everything I have been through in the last two years—the good and the bad. I was surprised by how nostalgic I felt about it. To me, this experience represented letting go and staying focused on the future. So here's to new cars and new life experiences.
