Petal to the metal

Well I feel like a huge contradiction but in a strange way it feels like the right thing to do. Paul and I after much debate, and I mean years of debate. Decided it was time to break down and get a car. This is a huge deal for us, and it still hasn't really sunk in yet.

Having lived for the past 2.5 years car-less, I had one briefly that was given to me when I lived in Calgary. I got it third hand and it was 10 years old but it ran like a charm. I gave it up when I moved to the U.S. knowing I didn't need it and found that I didn't really want the expense of it, as things kept breaking down. Not only that it never felt like it was mine.

The debate really started about a year ago, right when we were leaving Chicago to move to small town America. Where public transportation is not what it was in Chicago. Some how we manage to get around on foot, bikes, and bus. Recently we sat down and looked at how much we were paying in car rentals for easy weekend trips, and figured out we were in some cases spending what could have been a car payment.

Next thing you know we were at the car lot one Saturday morning, we knew what we wanted, and how much we were willing to pay, and it helps that Paul's family works for GM and got a nice discount. The out come? Well that Monday we went back and pick up our new car. It gets great gas mileage and is surprisingly spacious.(Paul cleaning it up, after our Kickapoo Camp trip) We took him on his first camping trip this past weekend, and he got quite the initiation, but it did great. Sure there is a part of me that feels like I sold out, by giving in and getting a car, but then there are so many opportunities for travel now!