Pre-Loved

This weekend was a bit exciting, as Mark and I bought a new (to us) car!

Okay, let me rewind a bit to about two weeks ago when Mark received his social security card. Bright and early last Saturday morning we walked into our bank and asked to get a credit card (from an American bank) for Mark. Since his social security number was brand spankin’ new, the bank told us even the most basic card was unlikely.

Impatient, Mark asked what he could do to build his credit score now. The personal banker suggested buying a car with financing, and paying it off in a year. Our immigration lawyer also suggested purchasing a vehicle, but for the purpose of proving our relationship. While having adding another bill didn’t seem worth it to prove our marriage, we want a house someday in the very nearer future, and you can’t really do that without a credit score.

So that afternoon Mark (who had been researching cars for months) found one in Fort Myers, and seeing as we were headed to Bonita Springs the following day, we thought we’d take a look.

We ended up at the dealership right before closing, and I literally drove the car off the lot, down the street and back on to the lot. We spent this past week obtaining and providing documents, transferring my car’s title into my name from my dad’s and trying to get last-minute insurance since the car was released from under my father’s insurance umbrella (Thank you to PJ at Geico for providing a tremendous amount of help to us on an early Saturday morning).

Finally on Saturday afternoon, around 5 p.m. we drove off the lot with a new car.

…. And quickly returned to the dealership when we realized we left our house keys on the trade-in’s key ring.

Seeing as Mark has a motorcycle and relatively easy-access to the yacht’s crew car and well as him being gone for half the year, we decided we didn’t need two vehicles and trading my little Hyundai Tucson in was the best solution.

I bought my 2005 Tucson brand new. I spent weeks researching cars, and I was so proud of myself for settling on that one. It has lots of room for a small SVU, tons of cargo space (I used it to move about 10 times), awesome gas mileage and a good warranty. Not to mention, I only had it in the shop once, besides the required routine maintenance.

I was super sad to see the Tucson go as we’ve had lots of memories together.

Goodbye Tucson! I loved you!

It made the Dayton to Daytona trip and back twice. It transported many of Theta Phis and roommates around Dayton (especially to Carmel’s). I sobbed cried in it, driving all the way home on my graduation day. (Leaving UD was probably one of the saddest days of my life so far.) It moved me to Columbus for my first “big girl” job, then back home, then to a new apartment, back home again, to another place and finally to Miami. I drove it to pick up Martini, and a couple years later I drove it to dropped off Mark after our first date. Later I drove it home to get married. Mark drove it back to Miami, full of wedding gifts, and ready to begin our new life together. We picked up Morgan in it. I spent many a frustrated mornings in rush-hour traffic attempting to get to school. … I could go on.

I know the Landie will be the one I will drive home after my last day of class and after I take my boards (possibly crying since I'm sure the exam will bring me to tears). It will move us to a new location (New city? New state?!). I will drive to my first day of work (possibly to my own business). We will drive around looking for our future house in this vehicle. It will most likely be the automobile that will hold children's car seats (… in the very far future, let’s not get too crazy).

I know that this new car is going to be wonderful, but moving forward is sometimes a bit bittersweet.

In memory: Hyundai Tucson 2005 - 2011