The Rental Car

Yes, I had a small accident. My first in seven years, to be exact. And hopefully my last. Since the repair shop completely underestimated when i would be retrieving my own vehicle I was forced to deal with the reality of living in Small Town America again: The Rental Car. Which meant I had to deal with another reality- who was going to pay for this rental car? I try to budget 40 dollars a week for food.

That meant having to call the parents and say, “mom, you want to pay for my rental car?” Fortunately I am a Southern girl and they said yes, as long as I promised not to wreck it. So I called Enterprise and now have a very bright red Nissan Versa with unlimited mileage. And it’s an automatic. Which, if you’re used to a stick, can be complicated. I keep wanting to drive with two feet. And it does something weird when I park it.

At the same time, it’s kind of fun. I never get to drive other cars (since I have had the same one for a while and plan on keeping it) and it makes me feel like a different person for some reason. It might be good for us to switch cars sometimes and see what it feels like to be driving a convertible or a Volvo or a Vespa. I think it actually makes us drive differently.

The good news is that my car is ready now and I’m turning in the rental in the morning. And I do miss the Jetta. Will keep you updated on how my driving is affected. What I HATE is having to explain to people why I have a “new” car.