Ode to the Vee Dub

My husband bought the VW in the Fall of 2001. His sensible Corolla had been totalled a few weeks earlier and he turned around his insurance money to buy a 1.8 Turbo VW GTI. At the time, I was anxiously awaiting an engagement ring, and was none too happy when he picked me up from the gym driving this new car. Needless to say, I hated it from the start. (I was a silly girl, what can I say?)

We were married the following November, and this was the car that we drove the day after when we left the hotel and drove to our new apartment to start our life together. It didn't have a lot of room in the backseat for passengers (or other nefarious activities), but the trunk had plenty of space for necessities, making it our go-to travel vehicle. We drove it to upstate New York for our annual trip to the Irish festival with my family, to Boston, Hartford, and Hershey, PA for sporting events and concerts and to Vermont for a spontaneous Anniversary weekend getaway (among other locations).

Hubby took meticulous care of this car. He was always cleaning it, parking it away from other cars at the store to avoid dings and dents, filling it with premium gas, and keeping up with maintenance and the like. In the 7 years since it was purchased, we even managed to keep the mileage low (still only at 36K). He also always loved the pickup that the turbo engine provided on the parkways. I never quite appreciated it. It was a gas guzzler to say the least.

Then, infertility struck. This was the car that I drove daily to my doctors appointments, 45 minutes away from home, speeding on the parkway to make it in time for my blood draw. I fell asleep in the passenger seat on the drive home after my retrieval and it got us and our precious cargo home safely after 3 embryos were transferred in March. After that, I gained a new appreciation for the car. It became my friend. I drove it more often...to checkups and appointments, shopping and family gatherings.

Yesterday, we sold it. Actually, we traded it in for a more family-friendly Honda CR-V. There wasn't enough room in the VW for a car seat and other baby-necessities. My car is a beat up old Corolla and wouldn't get us any money on a trade. Hubby kept a brave face, but I know it was killing him inside. I, on the other hand cried. Tears of thanks for getting us around safely, tears for the memories of the trips we took, tears for the last 6 years that we've spent in it, and tears because I know that the next buyer won't be as good to it as we were.

I love our new car....it's the car that will bring our baby home from the hospital, but I will always have a small spot in my heart for the one I gave a chance to a little bit too late.

Godspeed, VW. Thanks for the memories.

(this is the last time we saw it - in the garage at the dealership)