I told you how life smacked me in the face a couple months ago.
Left me in the cold with no sweater.
It’s warmer these days… so let’s take a trip.

The Ghosts of Cars that Passed

My first car made its way to my driveway when I was 16. My step dad had it sitting in his mechanic shop before then. The owners opted to sign over the title, rather than pay for the repairs. He offered it to me, and I gladly embraced “Shabushka ChickenWang” as my own. A white, 2001 2-door Saturn with a tiny little leak that conveniently trickled down into one of the backseat cup holders.

After a *sticky situation* which I’ll bookmark for now… I had to leave S. ChickenWang in the dust.

I rebounded with Nina the Neon. My 2003 lady-bug lookin’ Dodge that required elbow grease just to crack open the windows. My mom and I went to a dealership, I saw a “cute” red car …so I was sold! I didn’t care that it didn’t have automatic windows. I also didn’t realize it had “salt damage”  from it’s previous snow days.  I needed a car, quickly! My desperation and impatience meant me settling. We called my dad to come over and sign his name on the line so I could drive it! Nina and I made it through the rest of high school and on to college in 2009. One day… she started convulsing. From that point, the engine trembled so erratically, that I was ready to leave her on the side of the road.

*Enter* Micky “Mezziah” Mazda. This time around, I got the car under my grandpa’s name. The only person in my family with good credit following the “foreclosure crisis.” Once again, I went to ONE dealership, found a car that had been repossessed. The salesman convinced me that I was lucky to stumble upon this gem with only 5000 miles. It was the first quarter of 2012 and the car was a 2011… so it was practically BRAND NEW! ..except it turned out to be a Frankenstein mobile. I’ll share more details in another post… but I WILL say: Stay away from small dealerships!!!

My First Murder

I came into 2015 with a bang. Well, more like a *boom* *crack *splat* CRASHHHH!

I killed Micky.
Okay… it was more like manslaughter. Totally an accident.

I waited for the police for hours since no one was really “hurt” and the only think broken was my heart.

This was my second huge accident in the *same* car. It should’ve been declared a total loss the first time around! When I got her back, I had a slew of complaints. I couldn’t wait to get rid of her!

It’s crazy ‘cause the morning before the crash, I was driving in silence and I thanked God for the fact that I even had a car. I told him I would tough it out with Micky, since I knew he’d have something better for me when the time was right.

It’s almost like my gratitude, set this unlikely chain of events in motion. In my willingness to thankful for what I had… God decided it was time to shake up my world.

I didn’t feel like I was “ready” to get a car. Much less in my name. and Insurance?! *dis tew much*

Push to Start

I spent roughly two months after the accident… with NO CAR.

There I was, I grown ass woman, getting “rides.”

My trips to DC and Bimini happened amid my distress. I literally had to push myself out of my despair; fighting the urge to feel sorry for myself. Instead, I needed to keep making strides in the right direction.

This was one of those times where I was the *only* person who could help myself. Warm sentiments and encouraging words were empowering, but this was about more than feeling better… I had to take action.

And guess what?

I HAVE A NEW (to me!) CAR. A 2012, 4-door, Black Nissan Altima.
It’s finally *my* name on piece of paper that lives in my glove compartment.

It wasn’t easy! I’m going to write a follow-up post sharing some of the golden nuggets I unearthed throughout my quest (car shopping/ buying process.) As you can already see, I’ve made a ton of mistakes throughout the years. Consequently, I’ve learned enough to hopefully help someone who could use some guidance.

I haven’t tinted my baby’s windows, determined its sex or given it a name. Pushing a button to turn my car on still feels surreal. I can’t wait to share more details, but for now… picture me rollin’!

If you have any horror stories or fairy tales about your car history… I wonna know! If you have suggestions for what I should name my new shiny hunk of metal– don’t be shy 🙂
Leave me a comment!