Our Emotional Connection to Cars

One thing is for sure—every vehicle I have ever owned has a huge sentimentality attached to it, and I know I’m not alone in that feeling. Cars are a part of our life’s journey, something that reminds us that the joy is often in the journey itself, and not just in the destination.

When I saw the latest commercial for CARSTAR, it made me think of our emotional connection to cars, and how much a part of our life's journey they really are.

I fell in love with my first car before it even belonged to me. “Jeremy” was my sister’s first car—a brand spankin’ new Honda Civic and one of the coolest cars of its day. I remember driving around with my sister as she was proudly showing her new car to her friends, and for me as a kid, that was the best feeling ever.

Then a few years later, my big sister had a family of her own and was about to join the minivan generation. I was just about to get my driver’s licence and I quickly offered to give Jeremy a new home. After a little bit of convincing to our parents that this was the best idea ever, Jeremy was mine.

I loved that car. That was the car that I learned to drive a standard transmission in, with my Dad being calm in his instructions about how a clutch worked, and my brother standing 20 feet away from me as I attempted to drive in an empty parking lot, shouting out instructions on how to shift gears.

That was the car I had when I met my boyfriend, who is now my husband. He had always owned big North American cars (think Streets of San Francisco or Kojak) and looked at Jeremy’s size with raised eyebrows. Even with the seat pushed all the way back, he looked like an NBA player trying to cram himself into a tiny go-cart.

But it was my tiny go-cart, and I loved it.

Sadly, eventually Jeremy did have to go to Honda-heaven. When I was at the garage and had to actually sign a release form freeing the mechanic of all liability that may have resulted from me driving the car again, I realized I had to let Jeremy go.

After that, I went through a brief history of having to use something called public transit. It was a dark, dark time for me and as a result, I now break out in nervous hives at the thought of getting on a bus or subway.

Anyways....

It wasn’t long before more vehicles entered my life. The Little Putter that my husband and I bought together and had for many years. That car gave us beautiful freedom and allowed us to go on many road trips, including the most special one of all in my memory—the road trip with 40 of our closest friends for our wedding weekend.

After that, as our family expanded with kids and a dog, we needed an extra vehicle. A sporty, shiny, zoom-zoom type of car that is now known as “Daddy’s Golf Cart.” Seems he doesn’t mind small vehicles as much anymore. Spoilers and a sun roof make all the difference.

And of course, we eventually joined the ranks of Mini Van mania with what we like to refer to as “Mom’s Taxi.” It’s big, it’s bold, and it can haul seven people, a dog and more groceries, soccer gear, golf clubs, and kids' stuff than I care to mention.

That’s the reason why CARSTAR, North America’s largest auto-repair franchise, wants to spread the word and celebrate the priceless moments in life’s journey that Canadians experience in and with their cars.

Right now you can join CARSTAR on their Facebook page and share your #lovethejourney moments. You could win a dream journey of your choice, tailored to four unique personality types—the Adventure Seeker, the Romantic, the Arts Enthusiast, and the Nature Lover. Each prize will feature a trip for two to a destination in Canada that will show the diverse nature of Canadian journeys.

You can also tag your tweets and Instagram posts with #lovethejourney to share stories of the emotional connection between you and your car.

For me, all of my #lovethejourney moments—our wedding convoy travelling out of town, bringing our kids home from the hospital after they were born, going to pick up our dog when she was a puppy, weekend road trips, camping holidays, and drive-in movies with the family—they are all moments in time, memories for my family that we not only remember the details of, but we also remember which car we were in, cars that made us #lovethejourney even more.

And now after many years of happy memories with our various vehicles, soon there will be another vehicle to add to the list, another one to be parked in the driveway. Next year our daughter will be getting her licence and she's already saving up for a car of her own and deciding which one to get. This is huge for me because I remember getting my first car (Jeremy, remember him?) like it was yesterday, and now it's my baby's turn. Soon she will be starting her own adventures and making her own memories with a vehicle of her own.

This is where I now get to #lovethejourney from the back seat, and it's going to be a very different view indeed.