I’ve really grown to love our new, used suv, even though I never imagined myself driving one. My very first car was back in 2006, a used Camry my dad helped me buy from an older Korean gentleman with a… let’s say, memorable vibe. I still remember how he counted the cash by roughly splitting the bills in half and counting just one stack.
Like most Toyotas, that Camry ran like a champ for over 15 years with barely any issues. I dated my wife in that car, brought our first child home in it, and took it everywhere. Yosemite, Tahoe, Napa, Big Sur, Carmel, all around the Bay. It was the go-to for countless church rides too, at least until it wasn’t.
Then the pandemic hit, and like many others, I started working from home (thank you, remote work). The Camry went into storage, and after a couple of years, it moved with us away from San Francisco. Because I hadn’t driven it for so long, I started using our van for the occasional commute while the Camry just sat. Even though the mechanic gave it the all-clear, I eventually realized it wasn’t safe to drive a car that had been parked for that long.
So I let it go. Tried donating it, filled out all the forms, but no one came. Eventually I sold it for next to nothing to one of those companies that haul away old cars. I still remember watching them load it up and drive off. Honestly, I felt pretty sad and emotional. That car was basically with me my entire adult life, had been through a lot with me, never let me down. That’s why it took a couple of years to finally sell it, I still see the flatbed truck hauling it up and driving away. Sigh.
But the very next day, our new used car showed up, and just like that, I kind of started forgetting about the Camry… I am so, so shallow. Funny enough, I was originally set on getting a Prius until Kacie casually mentioned she’d like something different. And she never say something like that being how frugal she is. So here we are.
We love it—questionable color choice and all, especially in this summer heat. Sorry Camry I hope to see you again some day.
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