A girl and her car

I inherited my love for all things "Volkswagen" from my dad. I love the idea of driving "the people's car" because it makes me feel socially conscious and a little bit retro.

My first car was a light blue Volkswagen Squareback. I saved half of the money for the car by scooping ice cream at 31 Flavors, my dad gave me the other half. That car was like a badge of coolness for me, jetting around the streets of Southern California in my surfer-girl VW.

Now, before you jump to the conclusion that I surfed, let me say that I didn't, I can't swim unless you consider the doggie paddle a legitimate swim stroke. I just looked like I might have surfed, and that was good enough for me!

Because the car was inexpensive, it had a few minor mechanical problems that my dad had warned me about prior to purchase, but the coolness level of the car offset those difficulties for me. The car's major flaw was the steering wheel's tendency to shake like an off-balance washing machine at any speed over 45 MPH, so I generally relegated myself to street driving. Anyone familiar with Southern California knows that street driving is the most inefficient and slow way to reach your destination; the freeway is the only way to go.

One day, soon after purchasing my little car, a trip to Huntington Beach was necessary and I needed to get there FAST. The freeway was a must and about halfway to my destination, in irritation over my shaky steering wheel, a wave of teenage angst and possibly a bit of PMS washed over me, and I screamed at my steering wheel at the top of my lungs, "Stop it, stop it, stop it!!!" You know, the shaking didn't stop but I immediately felt better about the whole thing until I turned to the left and noticed a carload of teenage guys busting a gut over my outburst. And to top it off, they followed, right next to me, all the way to my freeway exit, staring, laughing, staring, laughing.

I am not sure what compelled me to share this little snippet of my life, I just happened to be reminiscing about my ultra-cool, light blue Volkswagen Squareback and the faces of those guys popped into my head and I had to laugh! Memories like this make me glad that I drive a car with a steady steering wheel and it also makes me glad that I am not a teenager anymore!

Have a great day, ladies!