My Toyota Prius and I hit a major milestone last night-100,000 miles! I have been counting down excitedly for months, and it hit me this morning why this means so much to me. It’s not about the mileage, but about the memories and amazing life changes that so many of those miles mean.
First, you should know why I bought my Prius. You probably saw “Prius” and assumed I bought it out of some environmental desire. Nope. I bought it because it had keyless entry and ignition, a backup camera, JBL speakers, and Bluetooth for phone calls. With all that tech, I felt like I was driving a spaceship. Yup, I bought a car based on geeky standards! The better gas mileage was just a nice bonus.
So I was very attached to my Prius from the beginning; it was the ultimate shiny new tech toy! But as I look back over all the miles we’ve covered together, I realize that she’s become more than just a gadget, she was a guide to memories that will last a lifetime.
A few of the many miles that my Prius and I shared together:
- Being stuck in traffic driving to see my grandmother one more time before she passed away.
- Driving to the beach to propose to Sarah.
- The time Porter, our dog, ate an entire bag of dark chocolate mint Hersey Kisses, and the resulting horror of “Does it smell minty in here to you?” during the car ride to the emergency vet (and the subsequent expensive car detailing that followed!)
- Road tripping to Ohio and back for a wedding.
- Our epic road trip week that took us to Virginia Beach, then all the way up to Maine, all without the Prius complaining or Sarah and I going completely insane.
- Driving home from work the day we found out Sarah was pregnant.
- Being on the phone with a friend, telling her excitedly about Sarah’s pregnancy, and finding out she was due around the same time (our sons were born a day apart!)
- Packing up the Prius with Sarah, Porter the dog, our son, his car seat, his diapers, bottles, and assorted accessories, Porter’s stuff, our stuff, and somehow fitting it all for our first trip as a family.
- Countless times I probably looked like a fool rocking out on my drive home, music blasting and me singing at the top of my lungs (I am sure if the Prius were sentient it would be glad it didn’t have ears.
Every mile on my Prius has a story, and hitting 100,000 miles has given me a chance to reflect on all of them. I hope to have many, many more!
Do you have any special memories tied to a particular car and its mileage? Do tell!
