Today I had to say goodbye to my car. I’d had it since 2014, and it was the first car I ever bought entirely on my own. I’ve owned plenty of cars over the years, but this one was mine in a way the others weren’t — paid for, chosen by me, part of a very specific era of my life.
On the 15th, driving to work, I heard a horrible knocking sound coming from the engine. At first I tried to convince myself it was just something loose under the hood, but even then I think I knew I was lying to myself. I took it onto the highway hoping the sound would fade. Instead, it got louder. Relentlessly louder.
So today, I finally had to junk the car. Rod knock is basically a death sentence for an engine, and replacing it was way beyond what I could justify. And since it was a Prius, the battery would’ve become a whole other wallet-destroying problem sooner rather than later. It was time.
On a whim, David and I headed to Nissan just to see if there was even a remote chance I could walk out with a new car.
I’d spent the last few nights browsing options and kept circling back to the Nissan Kicks. I wanted something with modern tech — it’s 2025, yet somehow cars still exist without wireless CarPlay, power windows, or anything resembling a soul. I also wanted something that felt like me. That’s when I found the Arctic Blue Kicks, with the Bose sound system built right into the headrest. Yes. Inject it directly.
At the dealership, I test-drove a Kicks. It wasn’t the color I wanted, but I’m not exactly living in a time of luxury choices. Still, it drove like a dream. And when we got back, the dealer told me a brand-new one had arrived that day, still wrapped, untouched — Arctic Blue. Bose sound system. Exactly the one I’d fallen for.
Serendipity.
After what felt like hours of paperwork, I drove home in my new car.
Welcome to the family, Bandit — named after Bluey’s extremely attractive cartoon dad. 😉
Of course, because the universe likes to humble me whenever possible, a rock hit the windshield on the way home and put a crack in it. But honestly? I’m not a perfectionist. The crack can stay for a while. Bandit and I have been through worse in, like… two miles.
