42 Wallaby Way: Oh the Places You'll Go

The relationship you have with your first car is one that can never be replaced or replicated. I remember I couldn't wait to turn 16 and drive all my friends around. Getting your driver's license is one of the biggest milestones in a your teenage life. I always felt like I waited so long and 16 was sooo old, but in reality I was just a fetus still. My birthday is in October, so I was one of the first people in my class to have a license and definitely the first in my group of friends. My gas tank could attest to that. So could my dad's wallet. I was blessed with the opportunity to drive every teenage girl's dream car, a Volkswagen Beetle aka slug bug. I begged and begged my dad for months to get on a car hunt so I could have a car on the very day that I turned 16. He didn't have one. About a month later, I drove off the lot in my first car. I felt like I was on top of the world. Equipped with a sun roof and leather seats, I was basking in luxury. It made it even cooler that it has a cassette player. Groovy.

That car went through a lot.
The numerous air fresheners, perfumes, and fragrances to try to mask the unwavering scent of a Crayola crayon factory (it never went away), the footprints of shoes from all my girl friends, getting it stuck in a ditch in front of my sister's school on the first day of driving it, the endless jam sessions to country music with the windows down, the battery dying probably close to 28758728575 times, late night talks with boys I liked, many kisses goodnight, car selfies because lets be honest the lighting is thee best, photoshoots with my sister, eating lunch in it every single day senior year, breaking down in tears driving home after a rough night, screaming at my sisters to stop fighting while I'm trying to drive, countless McDonald's drive thrus, texting while I wasn't supposed to be, utilizing the trunk as a closet space ( divorced parents probs), the stupid cup holders that didn't even hold the drinks causing sticky Chick-fil-a lemonade and Dunkin Donuts coffee to spill more times than I can count. I can never thank that car enough for the times it put me through. Good and bad. I honestly got a little emotional when I had an adult moment and bought my first car on my own. I was emotional because that meant a) I was now officially an adult with bills to pay and b) I had to retire that Crayola factory bugged eyed monster to my little sister. That car got me through so much. High school enough was a whirlwind and I don't even know how we got through it, but we did. Together. I probably sound so stupid ranting on about my slug bug, but it's a milestone for me to be parting with it. Now, my little sister gets to experience the same situations, heartbreaks, and adventures that I did. That little car is so full of memories and is about to get even more. I'm not even sure how all those memories fit in that little thing. It will be jam packed by the time she is done with it.

My point here is, cars take you places. You will go through so many trials and tribulations, jump through so many hoops, and climb so many mountains in your lifetime. And most of those times, you'll be in your car. To quote one of my favorite picture books and one of the smartest humans, "Oh the places you'll go, today is the day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way. " - Dr. Suess
There is a new mountain awaiting us every single day, no matter what car I'm driving, I know I'm making memories to last a lifetime. I know that I will look back someday and remember the slug bug days. I will remember how many times people said, "What's that weird smell?" and I had to explain to them that my car reeks of crayons so it has become my natural smell and it gets worse when it's hot outside . I'm going to look back on the day that my car died three times in three different locations and I had to ask the guy at Jamba Juice to help me jumpstart it. I'm going to think about the times that I was proud of myself for learning to do what boys do like putting coolant in my car and refilling the windshield wiper fluid. I am going to think back on the times I fought back tears as I ate lunch alone with the bug as my only company. I'm going to look back at how far I have come and the places I have been. So long my bug friend, make room for new memories. Hello to new adventures in the Kia.

XO- Sydney Lauren

I'm just now realizing I did not take very many pictures of the bug but, here's a little taste of what I do have.