After several weeks of research (preceded by several years of whining and begging), my husband and I brought home a brand new minivan this week. I was over the moon ecstatic. He was depressed.
For me, this new vehicle represents freedom from the repairs, leaking fluids and weird grinding noises that came standard with the minivan I had been driving for the last 10 years. For my husband, this new vehicle represents a return to the monthly car payment — one he hasn’t had to make for the last three years because both of our vehicles were paid off. He’s also totally underwhelmed by owning such a boring, boxy vehicle — especially when the dealership had Dodge Vipers on display in the showroom. Even though I thoughtfully pointed out that this will probably be our last van (assuming it lasts until our youngest daughter enters high school) and that really, we’re no worse off cool-wise than we were last week — unlike 10 years ago when he traded in his black convertible BMW 328i for the big blue grocery-getter. Neither one of these arguments seemed to lift his spirits. Sorry, babe! I love my new van!!
I love the new van smell, the carpet that has yet to be stained with spilled Slushies and road salt, the pristine windows that have yet to be smudged with greasy french fry fingerprints. I love daydreaming about all the camping adventures our family will take — all the joyous trips up to our cabin on the river or our timeshare on the lake. Someday, we will pack up the back of that van with Christmas presents and cross country skis and hit the snowy highways. Sooner rather than later, we will pack up that van with giggly girls from our cul-de-sac and go to their first drive-in movie.
For me, this van represents the potential of all that the next 10 years of our lives have to offer. It represents where we are at financially and family-wise today — and that’s a very solid place on both fronts. It represents both the daily grind of carpooling to school and soccer as well as the excitement of family vacations and road trips to Chicago, Michigan and beyond. That’s a lot of symbolism for four tires and a steering wheel!
Excited to see where the road takes us…
LB