A Farewell

Oh, Elantra, we've been together many years now. Eleven, in fact, to be exact.

Many things have changed since we first became a team. I wouldn't say you've always been there for me, as the last six years or so you've become a bit of a money guzzler. But, you have been constant amidst dozens of life changes. You saw me through my last year of high school. You moved to Kirksville with me for college. We took countless trips to Columbia, St. Louis, back home to Springfield. We even went to South Bend, Indiana together! And on the way back, you had your first encounter with a deer! You managed to stay intact. I can't say that for the poor deer.

And then we moved to Colorado. We got used to higher altitudes, chinook winds, blizzards and ice. We drove through Rocky Mountain National Park every time someone came to visit. You even scaled Pike's Peak! You became so familiar with I-25 as we drove back and forth from Boulder to Denver to visit Nick.

By the end of our time there, we'd been together for seven years. You were starting to show your age. And what's up with the Hyundai paint job?? You look terrible! I guess I could have treated you better, washed you more often, found a place to live that didn't have outdoor parking. Your window motors kept breaking. New belts were needed. Even a new windshield had to go in!

We traveled back to Missouri for a summer. I stuffed you full of boxes. And then I re-stuffed you with boxes as you and I headed out to Philly, just the two of us, together. My love for you had waned to nearly nothing by then, but I knew we had to stick together. We grad students don't really have the funds for new cars!

Your time in Philly hasn't been that great. Many, many repairs were needed. Your back bumper got rolled into twice! But, you've safely kept me as we figured out how to drive among these craziest of drivers. I won't miss driving here for two years, and you probably won't either.

And now another life change has come, and our relationship won't be surviving. We've been together for 100,000 miles, but it's coming to an end today. You've been driven in 12 different states. Your belts whine. You look all scuffed up. I can't take you to Rome with me. It just wouldn't work out.

So we sold you. We listed you for a bargain, priced to sell, and you did so almost immediately! We convinced your new owners to wait awhile so that I would still have a way to get around town. But now that comes to an end. I'll be signing over my title, receiving some money in turn. And you'll be off for new adventures.

I won't really miss you. Or driving. Or how much money you require me to spend on you every year. But what else has been constant these last eleven years? Very few things. But you were true to form and needed one last repair from me on Wednesday. Non-functioning turn signals, really? So, a new flasher it was.

And maybe I'm also a bit wistful about this because it truly signals the end of our time in Philadelphia. We leave in eleven days, but today is the last day I'll drive you. So, farewell, and happy trails.