Jul 264 min read

Exploring the "Crush": Part 1

Since the last episode came out, I’ve been in the midst of a bit of transition – moving, donating and donating a lot of personal items. It’s a tiring and emotional process so I have not found the time to write as much as I had been. All is well though and I am really embracing the idea of “having a crush” on my life and on the activities or decisions which are a part of it.

One of those is the experience of selling my car. It’s a pretty funny story and I’m really happy with the way it has turned out.

Here’s part 1…

I’ve been planning to sell my silver Audi for a while and knew I was going to do it on this trip. I bought it last year after an exhaustive search for the perfect road-trip convertible. I drove her quite a bit after I bought her, but when I began transitioning from North Carolina to Florida, I had Silver Belle “garaged” for a few months.

I have really enjoyed the convertible – I mean it’s fast, sporty, sexy and beautiful and paid for. However, my other car, a red Mazda 3 with a black interior, (aka Ladybug) has all those same attributes and is a bit more practical. I also love Ladybug as much as the day I bought her 10 + years ago and enjoy driving her almost as much as the convertible. And since I can’t drive both at the same time, I decided to keep Ladybug.

Anyway, I contacted a dealer and quickly got an offer on the Audi, and with which I was happy enough to move forward. However, over a period of 4 days, it took me 5 separate attempts to get the car to the dealer to complete the transaction.

Attempt #1 – I had an evening appointment scheduled at the dealer, but stopped a couple of hours early to find the location and determine if I needed anything specific with me when I came back.

Turned out, I didn’t have the right paperwork for the Audi, so I had to go to the DMV before they could do anything with my car. I went straight over and got the paperwork done very fast. In fact, the DMV experience was actually very positive. However, but it ate up some of the time and energy I had set aside for the whole process and I was too tired to go back to the dealer. So I made an appointment for the next day and attempt #2.

Attempt #2 – My schedule was really full with a day of travel, but I thought I could “squeeze” in the car sale before I went to the airport. On the way to pick up Silver Belle, a quick mental review of my timetable made me realize it was not a realistic plan to do it before my flight. I immediately called the dealer to reschedule and turned around to go finish packing.

Attempt #3 – Because the Audi had been not been driven much for a few months nor long enough to fully charge the battery, it needed a jump start. Luckily, I have an awesome portable battery charger, but wouldn’t you know it I left it with my luggage at my overnight accommodations. I'd driven 15 miles of the 21-mile trip when I realized I’d forgotten it. So I “switched gears,” called the dealer to reschedule -again - and put the time I'd set aside into something else.

Attempt #4 – Rested and fresh, the next morning, I packed up everything I needed for the day and left my friend’s house for a yoga class. My plan was leave class, pick up my Audi and head to the dealer. I was on my way to get Silver Belle when I realized I’d left the title in my computer bag – at my friend’s house. Sigh. I was already running behind, so I called the dealer and rescheduled for the afternoon. Then I went back to my friend's house, took a shower, changed clothes, and grabbed some food , before being on my way.

Attempt #5 - 2 miles later I realized I also forgot the battery charger – again – and had to make another detour to retrieve it. Laughing all the way, I reminded myself that selling my car is a big, emotional deal, and that it was ok to have all these stops and starts. I mean, I was doing it! And at least I remembered the charger 2 miles away from it this time!

I got the charger, sitting in the exact place I put it so I wouldn't forget it, and finally made my way to Silver Belle. I got her battery charged, put the top down, and took her on our farewell drive to the dealership.

It may sound weird, but as I we drove down the long winding roads, I talked to my beautiful car. I thanked her for being the perfect vehicle for helping me transition from one reality into another. I expressed my sincere gratitude for bringing excitement and fun and joy into my life. And I told her I knew the perfect owner was just around the corner – someone who would take her on the open road and let her engine roar the way it was meant to.

I drank in the sensation of the wind on my face and in my hair as it blew all my cares away. Despite the underlying sadness of knowing this was my last drive with Silver Belle, I allowed myself to have a crush on the moment and experience of freedom we had on our journey together that day.

Stay tuned for Part 2…