July 9, 2012

Braveheart, Camels, and a Baby Announcement

Back in January, I blogged about my top 5 goals for 2012. Along with reading through the entire Bible, finishing my novel, and reading Gone with the Wind, one of my goals was to be able to buy a car. 


Part of being accountable for goals is reporting on your progress.


So I think it's time you knew...



~Introducing~ 


Name: Toyota Corolla 
Weight: 2530 pounds
Length: 173.8 inches
Age: 6 years
Mileage: 92k
Personality: Amazing



That's my baby (post title got ya, didn't it?) As you might guess, I'm pretty excited. 



I've learned so much about mechanics, business, and stewardship throughout the search and purchase process. But all cylinders, gauges, gears, hoses, and gadgets aside, a car is so much more than a box on wheels. 


To put it in the words of Captain Jack Sparrow:


"It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is--what a ship really is--is freedom." 



It's come in different forms throughout history: a horse, a camel, a buggy, a bicycle, a stagecoach, a Model T. But getting your first one opens up whole new horizons. The opportunity to go new places, accept new work, and expand your reach is a timeless experience. 

It feels like progress, it feels like love, it feels like...



Do you remember getting your own first car/mode of transportation? What was that first taste of freedom like for you? 

13 comments:

  1. Woot! It's a beauty. Congratulations. I remember my first car, a Toyota Tercel, stick shift. That was a lovely little car, even though the AC didn't work great and it didn't have power steering. I probably worked up some good arm muscles driving it, lol.

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  2. Haha, thanks! I think she's pretty too :) I asked my mom if Baby had power steering and she said I'd know if it didn't!

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  3. Yay!!!! COngrats! :D Having a car is such great freedom!! Good choice too... Baby will likely give you many good years :)

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    1. Thanks, Elaine! And for your input in the decision-making process!

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  4. Congratulations, Alina! Looks like a good choice with many years/miles still to go. My first car was a 1973 Fiat 128 Sport Coupe. Fairly rare and a lot of fun to drive until I pranged it into the back of a pickup truck while checking over my shoulder to change lanes on Beach Blvd. at the 91 freeway on my way from work to play for a wedding. *That* was not a fun day. Keep a safe cushion in front of you, young lady :-)

    Eric Wampler

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  6. Wohooo! I heard it was in the works so now the baby has arrived. Congratulations on the new baby and handle it safely. You will have to take me out on it when I visit next. My first one was a 1964 VW bug, blue! Whew, that's a long, long time ago. Love you.

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    1. Haha, thanks! I'll bet that blue VW bug must have looked just as beautiful to you as my baby does to me :)

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  7. SO happy for you! Your question right away made me think of being born, not that I remember, but if I did, I'd say that there was a great sense of space and freedom, and exciting new sounds and experiences, AND that it was also a bit cold and scary...hmmm there seem to be parallels everywhere! So enjoy the adventure, and God bless you!

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    1. Interesting...I didn't think as far back as birth, but I guess that was a new sense of freedom, albeit pre-memory :) Thanks for "trucking" with me!

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  8. Congratulations!

    I have actually never had a car that was all my own. I didn't get my driver's license till I was 26 (shocking, I know!) and I already had one kidlet and one on the way. I just ended up driving the car my husband drove. We've had two other vehicles since then but they were always our vehicles, even though I get the minivan all day while my husband drives the hatchback into work.

    So, having a vehicle and license did mean freedom, but of a different kind. It was freedom to go grocery shopping during the day, the freedom to make playdates with friends who were not walking distance from our house, and the freedom to not have to schedule doctor's appointments around my husband's work.

    Now that my children are older, I'll sometimes leave them with my husband and go meet a friend at a coffeeshop, or head to the library on my own, or shop by myself. Makes me feel quite footloose and fancy-free!

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    1. Wow, I had no idea! That must have been a whole different experience. Minivans are a lot to drive, too! I would be scared to back up :) I'm glad you get that occasional sense of footloose now, though!

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