My First Car was...

Today, I am sick. It started with Hubby. Moved to B. Now I have the wretched upper respiratory infection and feel like...well, not good.

So, I'm linking up to Kel from Girl in the Glasses and her question:

What was your first car? Yup, that's it. Well, it's the wrong color but the make, year and model are the same. My 1980 Honda Civic hatchback was silver.

It even shocked my husband to know that I did not actually get my driver's license until I was 17 years old. I was so terrified to drive! It was only when my sweet girlfriends told me they were done driving out to my house in the boonies (it was 15 minute outside of town) to get me. They were forcing me to get my license.

My mom told me if I got my license that I could have her car - the Honda Civic. That's the good news. The bad news? It was a standard. A stick shift. A five speed.

It was bad enough I was afraid to drive not to mention I had to drive a stick shift! I finally took my driver's test in my girlfriend's car and then my stepdad taught me how to drive my new car.

The only thing that went through my head the first time I was allowed to drive alone in my new car was not fear, but "Sweet FREEDOM!!!! Why in heck did I wait so long?!?"

I drove that car for another two years until a bad breakup with a boyfriend inspired me to trade in the very good running Civic, the one without a car payment, for this little number. My 1981 Volkswagon Rabbit convertible was red. The salesman saw me coming from a mile away. A young girl with a broken heart in late May. Sold.

Like any 19 year old who hasn't experienced a hint of the real world, I really thought that I "deserved" that car. While I relished, and I mean RELISHED, riding in that car with the top down it also came with a nice little car payment and lots of problems. Eventually it met it's demise in a flood that sent the Missouri River pouring over it's banks. I had the car parked at the restaurant in which I was working to pay for it. By the river.

I watched from a window as it filled up with water and there was not a thing I could do to save it.

I went through a couple more cars in my young adulthood until my Hubby bought me my very mostest favoritest ever BRAND NEW car. The smell alone has spoiled me for life.

A black 1997 Mazda Miata.

I cried the day I traded my Miata in on my first van. I was 7 months pregnant with B and it was pretty evident that my car was not made for a passenger that sits in a car seat.

Sometimes now, on a warm day, I open the sun roof in my beautiful van that Hubby bought me last year and imagine that I am driving the Miata.

Until one of the kids screams from the back that the sun is shining in their eyes from the sunroof and I'm scaring them a little by driving too fast.

With a quick jolt right back into reality, I slow down, close the sunroof, turn on some 80's music and think back to that day I first drove alone - Sweet FREEDOM!