I think I was about 14 when I began dreaming about me cruising in the Samurai with the top down and my hair blowing in the wind. It was the 80's, and I figured at anytime I'd be moving to Southern California, so it would all be perfect. I actually would have given up a kidney for a Jeep Wrangler, but I knew that funds were tight in my family and know one was offering the kidney trade deal, so I thought the Samurai was a possibility since it was so much cheaper. Thus, I set my sites on the tiny little SUV from about '86-'90.
Of course, I never got the Samurai. And wouldn't you know it, my tastes changed as the end of the 80's rolled around. About 1991 I hit my sports car stage and moved the Nissan 300z and Mitsubishi Eclipse onto my pedestals. Pretty much this stage came about because there were some uber-cool kids at my high school that drove these cars. I supposed I knew cool when I saw it, and it was a two-seater sports car with power under the hood.
I'd hate to tell you the cars I actually drove during these times. Let's just say that they were what we call P.O.S.'s. ok? I went off to college in '92, and had to pretty much just leave my car in a small Arizona town because it was so pathetic. I spent my freshman year car-less. During that year, I revisited the visions of me in a Jeep or even a sports car. No cool car ever arrived in Arizona. Instead, I got a silly little 3-cylinder car that put-putted me through the college years.
I remember my senior year in college when I started thinking about getting a real job and a real paycheck. I was student teaching, and I saw the newest dream car addition. The Toyota 4Runner. I was in fantasyland. I knew that if I could get my poor hands on a magical cool-alert 4Runner that I would finally arrive in this life. But, you guessed it, I never got the cool mid-90's 4Runner. However, I did get the Jeep. In 1997, after a few "real" paychecks, I went right up to the dealership and bought myself a brand new Wrangler. So, dreams do come true. First you have to dream it, then you have to work your butt off for it. Leave a comment noting your dream car if you care to share.
