Ode to my VW

It is official.  I have officially sold my 2001.5 VW Passat.  I handed the title over yesterday and as I was driving off the lot, tears streamed down my face.  This was not the first time I cried over the sale of my car. I even cried as we drove to LOOK at other cars.  I don't think most people are attached to their cars quite like I was/am.

I remember seeing this beautiful silver Passat at Car Wars at War Memorial stadium spring of my junior year in high school.  I fell in love with it, but it seemed to be a bit too "new" of a car for me and I never thought I would get to drive it.  On the day of my very first prom, my parents decided to randomly drive around town with Marc, who the saint that he was came from Ohio as a college sophomore to go to prom with me.  I thought it was weird that my parents wanted to stop in the Central parking lot, but they did and that is where I found my 2001.5 Passat.  I couldn't believe it.  I was so excited about the blue and red interior lights that my dad said reminded him of an airplane cockpit.  I just honestly couldn't believe it was mine.  (Of note is that prom happened to fall around my birthday AND my first car was a lemon, so we were looking for a different one!)

My car made it through high school, carpooling my little sister and our neighbor Katie Gehrki. Then is was off to Davidson and it drove quite a few times across Tennessee to and from North Carolina.  We had many fun road trips together and shared some good miles.  Each summer I packed it to its brim to come home, or wherever I was headed for the summer.  It lived outside, always hoping for the closest parking spot to my dorm.  At some point, ants decided to make it their home too and I had to take it to get them out!  It rode the streets of Charlotte, dealing with all the traffic on I-77 and I-85, to Lake Norman and many trips to Starbuck's and Sonic.  I loaded it up one last time from Davidson in December of 2006 to head home--it had seen me through college.  Next, on to medical school living in the horrible student parking lots and late hours spent in the library. Then it was the car we drove away from after our wedding (picture above--the only one I could find on my husband's computer!). We formed some great memories together and it was always reliable, and provided great entertainment and a great ride.

Not to say that I don't love my new car because I do, but after nearly 9 years of my bond with my Passat, I am still sad and sincerely hope that it finds a new, very friendly, loving home.  Perhaps a high school student who it will see off to college and maybe even all the way through college as well.  I will never, ever forget my silver Passat.  Thanks for the great memories!! (thanks to you, for reading!)