March 18 - Fuel spreadsheet message
In February last year I bought my first fun car instead of taking the path of practicality that I’d always chosen before. Enter Claire, my 2005 Mercedes E Class, who has unlocked a car joy that I had no idea was possible 🥰
Yesterday when updating my fuel spreadsheet I realised that I ticked over more kilometres driven with Claire than any of my other cars! I owned my first car (a Suzuki Swift) for 2 years and drove it 31,281 km. With Claire I drove that far in just 10 months and 13 days 🤯
The moment happened while I was out on a drive around Wivenhoe last year that has been my favourite ever afternoon in the car since. After going over Mount Nebo I’d taken a wrong turn and ended up looping around lake Wivenhoe/Somerset. The car responded brilliantly as I turned up the speed and the sunset scenery was glorious.
For most people cars are just tools to get to places and if there was a better option they’d use that instead (which there is lol). But for me it feels like something more. When my time with Claire began, she was parked at the family business of the people who’d owned it. I met the mum who’d driven it for 14 years and kids who’d been taken to school in it and learned to drive in it. It was surreal.. and after 4 Melbourne trips and plans for driving further afield, I’m loving every minute.
Anyway. Here are some photos that might be interesting.
(TODO: need to get the photos and stuff together for this)