in the middle of a pandemic, we finally bought a car.
we achieved a goal that we've been dreaming of for years.
we finally have the freedom that we've been looking forward to.
when we got married last year, we didn't have a registry. instead, we had a car fund. we've spent the last year looking at listings. and it all finally fell into place. we can't wait for all the adventures this car will help us find. and we are so grateful and so proud of ourselves for waiting for the right time, the right vehicle, and the right price. we did our research (mostly), and made it happen. we can't stop smiling about it, and we are so fortunate. i can't wait to document how this changes our routines, rhythms, and mindset.
recently alex and i talked a lot about this ease. one thing that came to me was this idea of self-reliance: before, we could only go places that we ourselves could bike to. our limits were created by our legs, our stamina. especially during covid, as we aren't taking public transit or using services like lyft, this was especially true - we were limited by where we could walk or bike. what a blessing it is to be able to get into a comfortable car, and know that we can go anywhere. we drove to pick up dinner in the rain this week, and i was so grateful to be dry in a car!
the car itself has become a gratitude practice. we are so thankful for the ease that the vehicle brings to our life, and for all the things that are accessible - whether it's different towns outside the city, or just being able to run a quick errand or get somewhere new that we wouldn't have been easily able to reach by biking or public transit.
our inaugural outing was to a culver's drive-thru in skokie to get cheese curds and a concrete mixer. then we went and picked up alex's littlest sister, isabel, and we took her for a ride. we ended up at a forest preserve and walked around for a bit. the sense of freedom was exhilarating.
one thing is for sure - this car will take us on many adventures, and we are already planning out our ideal car kit (2-burner camping stove included).
