A Car is Just a Car

For those of you that don't know I had (tear) a car named Jack. Ever since I became of aware of cars I wanted a Black Toyota 4Runner. It was a dream of a silly 16 year old to see that car on my driveway with a big red bow on it the morning of my 16th birthday. Instead I shared a car for two years with my mom (Thanks Mom for sharing YOUR car with us!) and brother and occasionally had to drive the massive family van named Beuford. It all ended up being fine and I think it was really good for me. Anytime you have to share you learn from the experience. But I finally got my own car my second semester of my freshman year of college. It was a 1990 Mazda 626 that had belonged to my sister and her husband. I have such great memories of my brother-in-law Greg teaching me to drive that car, it was a stick-shift. I learned pretty quickly and ended up really enjoying driving a manual car. I went through a lot with that car. It had its fair share of problems and was certainly not my dream car. By the time I was done with it was old enough to be driving all by itself, the paint was almost completely off the hood, it had no heat/AC....which reminds me of when my sister Becky and I drove to my sister Heather's house in Idaho all wrapped up in blankets, hats, scarfs, gloves, and drinking hot chocolate because it was so cold. Selling that car for a couple hundred bucks was an end of a chapter of my life. I graduated from college and was moving to Washington, DC to start my career in interior design with Marriott International at their corporate headquarters. I was excited to be living in the city, to be so close to my mom and little sisters, and to start my real grown up life. I was on my own, making decisions for myself, and could do whatever I wanted. At first I drove a Mazda Protege, an extra car my family had at the time that I could use until I found a car I wanted to buy. I took my time because buying a car was daunting and I was having a really hard time finding something that would work. I wanted to be practical knowing with my commute I would be spending 2-3 hours a day in my car but the more I looked I knew that I only wanted a Black Toyota 4Runner. I didn't want to spend my money on a car and end up wishing all the time that I had a 4Runner. My mom finally gave me the warning that I would have to give the Protege back so I did it. It was in April of 2007. I bought Jack, my Black Toyota 4Runner. I loved him the minute I saw him. He didn't have a hood vent that looked like a huge nostril to me, he had the black trim, running boards, and spoiler. I thought I would have him for a very long time. I thought he would be my cool "mom car". I went through a lot with him. He got me home for much needed family time with my mom and little sisters, he kept me comfortable for HOURS in the car each day (usually on 495 that cursed beltway), and he was spacious enough for big pieces of furniture I needed to move for personal and work projects. Little did I know I would be getting married and moving back to Provo, Utah last summer where my life would shrink to a 2 mile bubble. Dan and I decided to sell Jack. We knew we could get along fine with one car (his car is already paid for) and we want to start saving for a house so we sold my car. It happened so fast. Jack was handed over to his new owners last night. I hope they will love him as much as I did. I'm pretty sure I will have another Jack someday though. And next time he'll have a third seat to make it an even cooler "mom car". Someday.....until then, Farewell Jack. You were the best car for me for the past two years.