My little slice of freedom
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 at 11:04AM | Becks Davis 
Yesterday was kind of a big deal for me. I have a car. A brand new car! I know, not earth shattering for most of you. But consider this: I haven’t had a car of my own since I moved to the UK in 2004.
Seven years of being dropped off and picked up like a teenager. Seven years of waiting for rides and sending texts to my husband saying nothing more than, “pick me up.”
The five years without a car in the UK wasn’t difficult. I was afraid to drive there but I did try for a bit. The weird thing about driving on the wrong side of the road isn’t the driving on the wrong side of the road part. Nope, the weird thing is shifting with your left hand (automatics are hard to come by in the UK) and having the entire car on the left side of you.
So, it wasn’t such a hardship in the UK. I took the bus to work and it was incredibly reliable. I could walk to our local stores. Right around the corner from our house sat a complex with two grocery stores, a department store, clothes and record shops, restaurants, etc.
Here in metro Detroit being without a car has proven more difficult but my husband and I have adapted to make it work.
The SMART bus that would connect me to the Woodward Corridor isn’t very reliable so I became dependent on my husband to drive me to and fro. And, sometimes, when my husband wasn’t available my parents would give me a ride, which just made me feel even more like I was fourteen again. Occasionally, I’d borrow my parents or brothers car.
But as of now, I’m moving into the fast lane! I can schedule meetings without consulting anyone else. I can take random trips to other parts of town on a whim. I can do things just for the sake of doing them whether it’s lunch with friends, scheduling interviews downtown or visiting my favorite Ice Tree. I now have the freedom to do all of those things.
I know those things may seem very simple to you, you may take them for granted. For me, it’s life changing.
Freedom comes in many shapes and sizes. My little slice of a freedom is a 2011 Ford Fiesta in Lime Squeeze. It screams MOXIE!
I’m ready to hit the highway! The only problem is that I don’t know what to do first. My world just got bigger and I’m so excited to explore more of Detroit. On my own. In my own car. Listening to what I want to listen to on the radio.
Watch out Motor City! I’ll be on a road near you.
Reader Comments (12)
Congrats! My car is my first "New Car" and it's the best when you get in and get that smell. It's long since gone on mine, but I'm so used to driving 10 year old cars that my 2007 Cobalt still seems new.
Lookin' for adventure and whatever comes your way, huh? Congrats on the Fiesta . . . too bad Royal Oak Ford was out of normal colors.
So, when and where shall we have lunch?
Congratulations! It will indeed be nice and exciting to have that freedom of your own car, again. Have fun exploring!
Congrats, Becks! I have been seeing a lot more of the Fiesta lately. It is a really sleek looking car. I'm partial to Ford though ;) Have fun zipping around the D!
Congratulations, Becks! I can't wait to read all the awesome articles and see all the awesome pictures that I know will come from you being on the road again! Have fun! (And make sure you listen to Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" once in a while in the Moxie-Mobile.) :)
This post makes my heart happy! I'm not sure I knew you didn't have a car, so I can totally see why this purchase is so liberating for you. One of the the things that makes me shy away from public transportation is that I love the freedom my car provides, just like you said. Congrats again!
Thanks everyone!
Toka,
This is my second brand new car. The first was a Ford Focus that I had to sell 2 years later when I moved to the UK. It feels great to have a new baby.
Alan,
I'll have you know that I picked this color and I love it! It stands out in a crowd. Lunch? Would love to!
I'm so happy for you and excited to see you in the new fiesta with moxie! I also love how much you love the ice tree. ;)
CONGRATS!! When I get back your way, we can road trip! LOL BTW - my daughter LOVES the color! :)
Congrats on the new car! I don't know how couple can live with one here. Cam's car has been in the shop over two weeks, and it's driving me CRAZY!!! I can't wait to see what adventures you post in the next upcoming weeks. :)
Watty,
It's been difficult but we've managed with one car. Yes, I'll be able to cover tons more now that I'm mobile!
Thanks Adonis,
The color is pretty punchy!
Congrats on the new car. The traction control is going to come in handy if you have it. The Sync system is cool too. I used it when I was driving the Taurus for a week last summer. Though I figured it out when I drove around MI before the car was returned.