Goodbye Old Friend

It's funny how attached to stuff people are. I am no hoarder but I certainly fall into the trap like most Americans of accumulating stuff. But then there are things that you hold on to because of sentimental value, even when you shouldn't anymore.

On Saturday I said goodbye to my 1999 Ford Explorer. It, no joke, was the car I learned to drive in. It became my car my senior year of college.

It safely delivered me to and from grad school. 

But we haven't really driven it for over a year now. And it's registration was about to come up due. And it was just time. It's 20 years old for crying out loud. I took it for one last spin Saturday morning. 

And it was an emotional process. No one pushed me to do it. I set it all up myself, but it made me feel sick to my stomach to see it drive away. To know that this key will never be on my key ring again. I should've just kept one of them. But there's nothing to be done about that and what would I have done with it anyway. 

For all the miles, and all the memories, I am still sad that it is gone. It was time. But it stings a little. I have recently determined that this is why people lease cars or trade theirs in more frequently. 20 years is a long time to get attached to one vehicle. 

I keep wistfully looking out the window at where it used to be. It was just such a part of me you know? It was technically mine for 12 years. I will miss it forever probably. Goodbye old friend.