A Star is Born

When I got my license at 16 I was lucky enough to have a vehicle to drive. I was un lucky enough for it to be a mini van. Just kidding, that van got where I needed to go. At the time, it sure beat walking.

For a while right before I got my license my friend Ashley and I would go to school not sure how we would get home. My parents have always worked full time, and Ashley's parents had fluctuating schedules. The friends whose parents we'd come to rely on for rides growing up now had after school engagements. So we were stuck and on our own. We'd get dropped of at school and have money for the bus, worst case scenario. The bus was sooo not an option we were interested in exploring. So we'd take turns. One day I'd find us a ride home, the next time she would find us a ride home. It was a nerve wracking way to be! Until I got my license and my parents so kindly let me drive our green mini van.

Not the kind of car that every 16 year old wants to drive. But it got the job done. At least I had a car. But a mini van? Ugh. Is there a worse car for a teenager to drive? It was mortifying at times. I would wait until all the other kids had cleared out of the high school parking lot before I left, because I did not want people to see my in my van. If I was leaving Target and I saw a hot guy in the parking lot, I'd walk over to a cute little sedan and fiddle with my keys until he left. Then I'd walk over and get in my van. I loved that the van got me from point A to point B. But I hated that van because , well it was a van!

A few years later my 18th birthday was looming around the corner. I was desperate for a different car. Any car. Used, semi functioning. I'd take anything that was not a mini van at that point. My Dad kept teasing me telling me they were going to get the van a new paint job for my birthday. Ha ha Dad, good one. You are joking right? Tell me you are joking. You can't be that cruel.

At 5 am on my 18th birthday I woke up to my Mom yanking me out of bed. I was half asleep and extremely confused. She drug me out of the house to the front yard. And there it was. A NEW car! With a big huge bow on it. Ahhh!! It was like a scene straight out of a movie. Sophia was born. She was perfect in every way. The color, the size, the spoiler ( how sporty looking! So the opposite of a big ugly van!), the smell. She was beautiful. I think that is one of the happiest moments of my life. I could not wait to drive to school. Everyone at school was super excited and wanted to come see my new car. I was so proud. There was no waiting until everyone left the parking lot that day, I was happy to be seen getting into and driving my car.

I'll be forever grateful to my parents for that car. I think about how truly lucky I am to have been given a car and a college education. I can't imagine if we had 2 car payments instead of 1. Or 2 people's student loans to pay off instead of 1. My parents have always worked really hard to provide for me, and to be financially sound. We were never rich, but I was always well taken care of. My parents are pretty awesome like that.

I still have Sophia, 9 years later. She has quite a few miles on her now (stupid job!), but she is running loud and proud. I plan on getting quite a few more years out of her. It's funny now with Brynlee, I think about how nice a van would be to have room to tote her and all her baby crap. My how time changes things! But for now Sophia works just fine. Maybe if I had less crap in my car there would be more room for baby crap. But that is a topic for another day...