A Great Shift

Buying cars is an interesting experience, and a required one living in Michigan. When I purchased my Ford Edge I was not ready to make the purchase. It was out of necessity more than anything else. My Chevy Sonic was leaking so much oil it was going to stop any day and I quickly had to research what would serve me best for the foreseeable future.

I'd never bought a car from a dealership and I figured I might as well get something nice because I was hoping to drive it for the next 10 years or so. The car I fell in love with had a sun and moon roof, Apple CarPlay, heated and cooled seats (in the back too), motion sensor hatchback, lane keep assist, a GREAT stereo system, and much more. I felt like I was in absolute luxury. I was enamored by the features of the car and knew, I had to buy it.

I'll never forget telling the salesman that it was so big with the back seats down I could sleep in it, he looked alarmed and I told him I would only do this if I were camping and my tent flooded. The thought of camping was potent when I purchased this car, I had so much room for my tent, canopy, cooler, etc. Packing wouldn't be a jigsaw puzzle like it had been in the Sonic.

My mind then traveled to a much more sentimental place. This car would be safe for family, friends, and eventually a baby. This was an odd thought as being a mother has never been one of my aspirations. Yet, all the same, I thought that whoever I may be with, we will get to our destination safely.

Incredibly, I had all these thoughts before even purchasing the car, the purchase came immediately after. The dealership was willing to give me $3,000 for my Sonic (honestly I was thrilled with this, that car was dying) and I'd saved very little so I was only able to put down an additional $1,000. This gave me a hefty monthly payment but I had a great job and figured I'd rather pay for something I love that will last rather than something I wouldn't want in a few years. I left very very happy with this car, not knowing that in a few years, my life would flip upside down.

When life inevitably threw me a curveball and I decided to travel the United States I knew I'd need a truck. This brought me great sadness and I cherished every moment I spent driving my Edge. I even started making up excuses to drive it and often offered to drive others just so I could savor the vehicle a little longer.

I'd always thought men talking about their love for cars was ridiculous but knowing I'd have to give up my Edge, I finally understood it. I loved the Edge so much that I almost blew off my truck sales guy, but he's a friend of the family and I'm not one to skate around responsibility. As silly as this sounds, saying goodbye to my Edge was heartbreaking. I had so much planned for it and very little time.

The shift came suddenly. I knew I needed the truck but I was not excited about it. I went and did a test drive with a few trucks and didn't love them because they didn't have the luxury of my Edge, I felt like I was going backward. Then I drove a brand new Silverado, it had everything I'd ever wanted and more, it was beautiful and high tech and I felt like a badass in it. When I returned from that drive I confidently asked "What's the price of that one? I want it" - I, in fact, did not want it for the simple fact it cost $70,000. Dismayed I asked what I could get that was similar but at a cheaper price.

I must say, the Halfacre team at the Dexter LaFontaine was fantastic to work with. They started by looking for used trucks that had all the features I wanted. Unfortunately, not many people buy 2500s just to turn around and sell them right away so this was a challenge in itself. All of the used trucks we found were $50,000 or more and I was really hoping to find something that would be more affordable. Lucky for me, my uncle had a discount that I could use and it caused a brand-new truck to drop lower than $50,000.

The day of the purchase I was nervous. I was about to put a lot of money into a truck that SHOULD make my hopes and dreams come true as long as everything went well. I drove the truck, felt a little excited, and then told myself- sacrifices must be made to do cool things. I went in and I bought the truck. After working with their financing agent and getting everything settled, it was mine. I was driving it off the lot at 11AM on a Friday and in this first drive, I felt a surge of joy. I was doing what I set out to do, I had one of the final pieces to actually start my journey across the United States.

I did a little happy dance at a red light on my way home. It was an immediate shift of worry and sadness over my Edge to excitement and the thrill of adventure with my truck. Sometimes momentous shifts are all we need to push forward.