My Quarter Life Crisis

So I bought a sports car this week. Not just any sports car – a convertible! It isn’t anything new, just an older car that I could pick up for cheap. Somehow I have dubbed this my ‘quarter life crisis.’ My husband is terrified of what my mid-life crisis will bring! I can’t say I’m not a little afraid too! Technically, I guess it’s more of a quarter work life crisis since I’m past 25 but about a quarter of the way through my working life. That is, if my generation ever gets to retire!

This all started about a month ago. I saw this car for sale on my way home from work….every day…for a couple of weeks. I finally asked for some more information and we went to take it for a test drive the same night. I wasn’t sold though – I wanted to look around for some other options. Plus, there was the thought of spending money I shouldn’t be, and really just not needing it for any reason other than ‘fun.’

After we test drove the car and talked about it, I had it stuck in my head that I did, indeed, want need a convertible. About a month later and after looking at hundreds of other cars on Craigslist, it’s now sitting in our driveway.

The first time I seriously considered buying the car must have really sparked something in me. Enter the quarter life crisis. Maybe it was the fact that I haven’t handled motherhood as gracefully as I had hoped. Maybe it was the long NICU journey that is still fresh in our minds. Maybe I felt I needed a reward after just finishing up my associate’s degree at 28. Or maybe it was that I simply wanted it.

A year and a half ago, I was in the hospital and my husband was driving two hours round-trip almost every day to visit me. I continued working and doing schoolwork from my hospital bed. Then we did the same after ‘M’ arrived…for almost four long months. To say it was tiring doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Since then, our life has been endless doctor’s appointments. Between that and working full time, we’re always running in different directions. We wouldn’t trade our sweet boy for anything, but it can be tiring driving all over creation! Why not start doing it in style?

At the end of the day, I’m not sure I really even need to justify my purchase. My husband and I both work very hard for what we have – nothing is handed to us. Could the money have been better spent? Of course! But the good news is that ‘M’ already loves riding around with the top down – it put him right to sleep yesterday. I think this purchase will only lead to more family adventures!

Life is short. Take that nap, eat that cookie, and buy that convertible!