MA 3HY 865

Today I clicked the 'cancel registration' button in the MassRMV website.

It's finally over - my beautiful black Honda Civic was totaled a few weeks ago, and Geico had paid out the market value "worth" of her.

Her name was Anastasia - named after the very first girl I was head over heels for. Your firsts are always special. They set the standards and expectations for the seconds, thirds, and so on so forth. And there's this hard-to-grasp quality, magic, that will always be there, unforgettable. Mind you, it's not like I've never ridden or driven other cars before her. And although I will opt out of owning a car in the near future, she won't be my last car ever. Not by a far stretch.

And yet, I already know that it won't be the same.

I first got her in the summer before junior year in college, and I have been longing for a car for the longest time in the world. I still remember vividly my first ever trek to a car dealership (it was a Volkswagen dealer), the sickeningly sweet mixture of intimidation and persuasion of the car salesman, and the sigh of relief as I walked away from that deal. After what felt like hundreds of phone calls, millions of Google search, and numerous drives to a plethora of car dealers miles away from Amherst, I decided on a black Honda Civic.

I chose the SE version, which stood for "Special Edition", because guess what, your firsts are special. ;)

We've been together in numerous drives ever since. On one day I would drive her just to move between dorms, and on another she would ride me on a trek to DC. Various people have been on her passenger seats, she's seen many of the dates that I drove. She's driven me on my happiest, proudest moments, but also on my darkest. She's hid my tears while I drove to Wong's Garden as I sought to escape my stress, and she's comforted me as I drove back from New York toward Amherst in the nightfall. She has truly made my last two years of Amherst wonderful. And oh, the multiple drives to Quabbin Reservoir? Williams to take a certain someone? Connecticut to be parked at Chou's place?

Thank you, and goodbye, Anastasia. I am truly grateful for the amazing two years with you. And while I know, in the future, that I shall drive a more expensive, fancier, and perhaps more beautiful car, you'll always occupy that first-ever spot in the corner of my heart.

Hope you end up in the car heaven.. Farewell.