My Life: Then & Now

(All photos presented are not my own, but random photos in google images.)

This was my dream car when I was a kid.

A yellow Geo Storm. I was such a stud.

This was my first car.

'89 Toyota Tercel

We had it in California and then it traveled up to Utah to serve as Brittney's car while she was at BYU.  It was a stick-shift.  I loved it.

Meanwhile, my family moved to Pennsylvania and I got to drive this:

 '91 Oldsmobile Cutlas Cruiser

Seriously, nothing about this wood-paneled station wagon should be related to the word "cruiser"... but whatever.It got the job done. I still remember the smell of it. Makes me think of long family roadtrips and feeling car-sick.  You better believe I sat facing backwards in the very back seat, too! Not while driving, of course. :)

I was 16 yrs old when I got in a scary car accident, spun across 3 lanes and crashed into a fire hydrant.  Needless to say... that was the end of my "cruising" days.  My dad kept the wood-paneled door frame with the hole in it-- I guess as a souvenir-- and it's hanging in our garage.

My dad thinks I crashed the car on purpose so I wouldn't have to drive it anymore.  Not true.

But I did get to drive my dad's '86 Ford Ranger for a while.

It even had a bed cover like that.  Looks cool but it's a pain if you actually need to put things in the back.  It was a stick-shift and fun to drive-- especially on all the winding country roads and rolling hills.

Finally it was my turn to go to BYU and drive the Tercel again.

Good memories & lots of fun.  I called it Petey.  I graduated from BYU and had to move back to PA after getting sick.  I had arthritis in my hands and wrists and couldn't drive the truck because of the stick shift.  

So my dad had this car waiting for me when I got home:

'87 Toyota Corolla.  $900

But mine was a dark forest green-- almost black-- with a flat/matte finish.  I drove it for a few months and it was perfect while my arthritis faded away.  I called it the Green Pea.

My sisters were in a car accident over Thanksgiving break in Utah.  Petey was totaled.  No more Tercel college car.

Sometimes I drove my dad's '86 Toyota Supra for fun.

After about a year of working full-time after college, I was ready to buy my own car.  The Green Pea wasn't going to last much longer.

I quickly became obsessed with the '03 Toyota Matrix.

On my lunch breaks I would drive to the Toyota car dealership and drive up and down the rows of cars, peek in the windows of the Matrix and just drool over everything about it.  I loved the shape, the color, the rear lights, the interior, the back seats that folded down into a flat bed, the front... EVERYTHING.  I test drove a few cars but once I drove the Matrix it was all over.  I was in love.

So I bought it (probably shouldn't have but I was too obsessed) and loved that car with all my heart.  I took our dog, Phoebe, with me everywhere and this car was more than just a car.  I named it Max.  

*sigh*

Then I decided to serve a full-time mission and had to sell my dream car.  Luckily a family friend bought it so Max was still nearby while I was on my mission.  My parents would give me updates on "Max sightings" and let me know that he was doing okay.  I missed him.

Before my mission, my dad bought this car from my friend:

2001 VW Jetta.  So when I got back from my mission and this car was hanging out in the driveway... it made sense that I should be its new owner.  (Even though I really wanted Max back, I knew it wasn't financially possible, so I just dealt with it).  My mom was driving the Jetta (named "Alfie" by previous owner) and she really liked it.  But I made a business transaction with my dad and bought it like a real grown-up.  I drove Alfie out to Utah 2 months after coming home from my mission, and that brings us to the present.

Alfie is a good car and has done a great job making the 35 minute one-way commute every day.  He's small and easy to handle.  I usually drive with my knees and sit very comfortably. :)  

But I will admit that I miss Max like crazy and would give up Alfie in a second if I had a chance to trade for a Matrix again.  However, I'm trying to just be content and happy with my current situation.

Lately I've become a little obsessed with the Honda CR-V.

I just really love the look of it.  Similar to the Matrix but more of a small "SUV" type of car.  I can't afford it.. I haven't even looked up any info on it because I know I won't buy it.  I just get excited when I see one on the road.  I get even more excited when I see a Matrix.

But for now, it's me and Alfie and we're doing just fine. :)