2012 has thus far brought some exciting and interesting changes in my life.  I have many impending big life changes on the radar including graduating (I’ve spent all my life since I was 5 as a student…this is such a weird feeling) in May and starting the real world full time job thing.  I have lots of wonderful things I’m looking forward too and will share in due time, but one of my big changes occurred this weekend.  I said goodbye to my good friend and companion, Alice the Mustang. 

My little silver 2005 Mustang came into my life when I was 16.  Yes, I was incredibly blessed by the gift from my grandparents and parents.  Her name was Alice.  And I managed to total her less than 6 months after acquiring her.  Okay not completely total…mostly just totaled the entire right side of her.  So we spent months apart as all the parts were ordered and she was put back together.  I got my first and only speeding ticket with her (going 15 miles over the speed limit…down hill, less than a mile away from home).  She saw me through high school, college #1 and college #2.  Oh man you should see what its like to pack up to travel to and from college in a Mustang.  She taught me the art of packing into tight spaces.  We had many many good times together.  I sped away from perhaps the scariest moment of my life with her, spent a couple of nights driving around and sobbing with her, and spent many days laughing with her.  Yes, we were quite close.

Not my Alice...but rather a first cousin. Alice wasn't a GT. But I don't feel like digging through all my pictures to find her photo right now

But life changes and now that I am moving toward real life, I need a car that can get me to and from work and commitments regardless of snow.  As much as I loved Alice, she did NOT love the snow, ice, or even heavy rain.  I needed a car I could rely on to get me safely place to place.  AKA a small SUV.  After searching around a bit, my parents ended up getting a nice deal on an 2010 RAV 4 (my dad loves Toyotas).  And thus on Saturday I said goodbye to Alice at Carmax (she will make someone very happy I’m sure), and said hello to my new black beauty.

yeah taking pictures of a black car at night isn't the greatest idea

I think of him as Alice’s rough and tumble, bigger, younger little brother.  Of course I had to make him official.

And now that he was official…he needed a name.  It came to me right away.  Achilles.  It has all the letters in ALICE and seemed appropriate.  I have to admit it feels very weird having so much space in my car.  I went to Target the other day and could just put bags in the trunk without finagling at all.  So as much as I will always love my little Alice, Achilles and I are off to an excellent start.