The End of An Era...

Dear Jetta:

I will miss you dearly. You were my first new car, and a welcomed friend after my high school "Heavy Chevy" finally clunked out freshman year of college.

I dreamed about you and researched you for a full year before we met, and it was love at first drive. I took care of you like a baby, tracking your mileage in Excel, washing you constantly, forbidding my little brother to press your radio buttons too hard. *laughs then cries* Ahh, it all seems so trivial now, but not back then.

You still look as beautiful as the day my dad first drove you off the lot. You remember that day don't you, Jetta? Dad wouldn't let me drive you home from the dealership for whatever silly reason, but when I forbid him to smoke in my Jetta that fixed his desire to drive you subsequently, didn't it? Hehe. We're so bad Jetta.

We had a lot of good times. I packed you to the brim to move in and out of dorms, apartments, and eventually mom and dad's. If you were a gender, you'd probably be a male--and probably gay b/c you LOVED the disco globe I hung from my rearview mirror and my Mariah Carey CD's.

I replaced your wipers, your tail lights, your fluids--all by myself. I even installed your aftermarket CD changer. Remember that whole episode? Thanks to you I had my first experience in filing a corporate complaint and getting someone fired. We're a great team Jetta. We made things happen!

Your sunroof and tinted windows gave me the confidence and luxury I needed. My then-fiance, now husband often called us silly looking for the window tints, but we didn't care. We had each other.

You always cranked and never let me down, even when I hit a speed bump too fast and knocked my oil pan off, you still, miraculously, got me home. Thanks Jetta.

Leaving you signifies the "end of an era" as Charm City Daddy always says every time he sees an Audi TT reminding him of his bachelor days. I will think about you the same way every time I see a silver Jetta.

I love you and I know you understand that I need a different car for the next stage of my life, but that doesn't mean that I won't always appreciate what you did for me and the fun time we had in my 20's--and all 118,000 miles.

I am glad we are leaving on such good terms, b/c now another person will have the opportunity to start a new life with you and experience all of your splendor as I did. Don't worry Jetta, your owner's manual is well documented and I even included your VW Jetta VHS--although no one has VHS players these days.

XXOO,

Charm City Momma