Another love story

They say you never forget your first car. I really wouldn't know because its the only car I have ever had so I have no basis for comparison. Well until today that is. A very emotional day all round where I handed over my car which has served me faithfully the last four years to an unknown fate and then drove away (very slowly) in a new shinier car. See above for said new car.
This is Stella, aka the car I learned to drive in. Its pretty battered but its been through a lot and it has stood me well. My mum drove it for 15 years before passing it on to me. It was a great car to learn to drive in, despite how battered it looks its actually held together fairly well and I was used its little quirks. How the key was a bit bent (my mum once got rather impatient while opening it so you had to turn it carefully to open the car or start the engine), how the whole thing shook when you went above a certain speed, the fact that I was able to leave it unlocked accidentally in the most public of places and no one would ever try and rob it. I am aware that last one does not sound like an endorsement of the car but it had its uses. I will remember it fondly from my first terrified solo journeys to the independence it gave me that I could not imagine being without. And of course it will always be the car I passed my driving test in. Unfortunately though Stella is getting on somewhat and while her engine is still going strong, the rest of the car not so much. I was not actually intending on trading her in so soon but after my dad had to open my fuel gauge with a screwdriver last week, I was persuaded to upgrade and only days later I drove away with a newer shinier model and a few tears in my eyes. My mum said saying goodbye to Stella was in a way like saying goodbye to my first boyfriend but I remember that as being far less emotional. Mind you I was 14 saying goodbye to my first boyfriend, we had dated for two weeks and I was so pathologically shy I didn't really speak to him during that time so as you can imagine I bounced back pretty well from that one.

While its sad to say farewell to Stella, I am pretty excited to be driving something newish. Well its an 04' Renault Clio so its hardly newer but after my old car it seems very fancy indeed with my central locking and electric windows, I wont know myself at all. I am still adjusting to reversing but I have barely had her a day so give me time and it will be like it was the only car I've ever had. Here's to the future and whatever it brings, I am hoping for many more adventures so Goodbye Stella and Hello Aurelie, it's only fitting I would name her something French.

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