Gas, Grit & Gratitude

After this past weekend, I swear it feels like a ton of bricks got lifted off my shoulders — and probably off my husband’s too. For the last year, we’ve been a one-vehicle household. And not just any vehicle — a 2001 lifted Dodge Ram. You know, the kind that guzzles gas like it’s on death row. Between that truck and my husband’s job switch, our gas bill alone could’ve paid someone’s rent.

His mom’s been a saint, letting us borrow her car whenever possible, but even that started getting tricky. Eventually, we had to face the truth: we were desperate for a second car

So this weekend, the four of us — me, Cody, and the boys — took a long trip to Bristol, Tennessee, where our “new-to-us” vehicle was waiting. Why didn’t we just have it delivered? Because I’m not paying $400 for someone else to drive my car to me. We already had a deposit to make, so we decided to turn it into a “fun” family trip. And by fun, I mean chaotic and mildly traumatic.

After a ton of searching, we finally found the one — in Bristol, Tennessee. Yep, six hours away. Some folks might’ve chosen to have it delivered, but we weren’t about to pay an extra $400 delivery fee. Nope. That’s a week of groceries or a few tanks of gas for the beast we already own. So, we figured we’d make it a family trip. You know, turn it into an “adventure.” Spoiler alert: “fun” is not exactly the word I’d use to describe it.

We packed up our two boys, snacks, and all the optimism we could muster, and hit the road. Everything was fine until we arrived at the dealership — bright-eyed, excited, ready to sign and go. Except we ran into one little problem: our method of payment.

Here’s a free tip for anyone buying a car online — apparently, you cannot use a credit card for a down payment. Who knew? Certainly not us. So that “Express Pickup” they advertised? Yeah, not so express when you don’t have the right payment method.

Instead of signing papers and heading home, we spent hours trying to sort things out. What should’ve been a quick handoff turned into us sitting there from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., mentally fried, hungry, and just wanting to go home.

By the time it was all settled, it was way too late to make the six-hour drive back safely. So, we decided to crash for a bit — literally. We parked at the Virginia/Tennessee state line and all four of us piled into one small car to sleep.

Did we sleep well? Absolutely not.

Did we survive? Barely.

Did we regret not paying that $400? For a brief second, yes.

But after a few hours of rest, we hit the road again early Monday morning and finally made it home — exhausted, running on caffeine and sheer willpower, but proud that we got it done.

Now, let’s be real for a second.

Did buying this car set us back on a couple of bills? Unfortunately, yes.

Do we regret it? Not one bit.

We needed this for our family. I needed to be able to get the kids to and from school without the stress of figuring out rides or worrying about them being late. That alone is a huge relief. I can finally go somewhere without asking for permission or working around everyone else’s schedule. And now I can take on some side gigs to help us catch up — something that just wasn’t possible before.

Sure, it was exhausting. Sure, it cost us a little extra in gas, food, and sanity. But the peace of mind that comes from having that second vehicle? Absolutely priceless.

Sometimes being an adult means doing the hard, messy, uncomfortable thing — even when it means sleeping in a car at a state line with two restless kids. Because when you finally get home, tired but proud, it hits you: the chaos was worth it.

And honestly? I’d do it all over again. (But next time, I’m booking a hotel.)