An Ode to the Road + Connie

park county route 90, co

walt whitman

bagley bridge, nh

william least heat-moon ▲ clay county, wv

montgomery county highway 115, ny

My car's been in the shop for a few weeks now, after sitting in my parents' driveway for, well... a few months. When it conked out in August, I was in no financial position to check it out (ie: I just took myself off of unemployment benefits without any job lined up). My anxiety over the possible diagnoses lead to nervous procrastination. So she sat, and I made due without. (I also happen to live with a guy godsend who lets me use his car all day while he's in the city.)

When friends hear that I haven't had my own ride for six months, their jaws generally drop. While being an amazon blonde is one of my most defining characteristics, I'm equally recognized for always having a car, and always offering to drive. "A car" is specifically my Connie, The Conference Room, a Chevy Equinox -- and we've been through a lot.

I got the vehicle new nearly 9 years ago, with less than a hundred miles on her. Since then we've been out to Colorado, down to Nashville, and all over the eastern seaboard -- country muddin', climbing mountains, down dirt roads, by the beach -- taking pictures the whole time. I've driven 125k+ miles of this country, and loved every second.

Turns out some of my more badass off-roading escapades lead to the extra time in the shop. Initially, it seemed that the only problem was with the fuel pump -- but it turns out somewhere along the way I managed to strip the drive shaft & lose my 4wheel drive. Not that I noticed, but I'm thrilled to know it's all about to be fixed. A sturdy car is best for the longest of drives. Wee! I cannot wait to have her back.

Do any of you have destination suggestions for my next road adventure? Or also have a weird love for your car? Spill.