We all have that long lost love in our life. The one that got away. My heart aches everyday for my lost love: my first car.
I started working at my family's gas station when I was 13 or 14. I saved all my money because really what can a 13 or 14 year old spend their entire paychecks on, right? When I was 15 I was heading home with my mom when I saw it: my perfect car. The car I'd been dreaming of since I knew what cars were. It was a 1989 Jeep Cherokee Laredo manual with a car phone (yes that matters, it's all about status!).
I always knew I when I started driving I wanted to learn stick shift right away. I also knew that I wanted my first car to be an SUV of some type, I've never been a sedan kind of girl. So when I saw this car and it met every expectation I wanted in a car, I knew I had to buy it. I was only 15 at the time so the Jeep would have to sit in my driveway for at least another year (it ended up being a year and a half, I was slow to get my license), but I didn't care, I didn't want to pass up this chance. So I drained my savings from working those two years and paid $1600 for the Jeep plus the $20 bucks or so for the Rainbow Brite wheel cover.
My Jeep ended up being everything I've ever wanted in a car. Unfortunately about a year into my driving it consistently the clutch and calipers went on the Jeep. It was going to cost me about $1000 to fix it and it was $1000 I just didn't have at the time.
It's one of the few times in my life that I would go back and change things. I would have found a way to keep that car, because I miss it every day.
And that's the story of the one who got away, excuse me while I go pine away and stare at the picture above.