Today was defined by a classic milestone:

The second car.

The fully-equipped 2004 Solara in a bold, beautiful red body was a looker. No doubt about that. I was the recipient of this sporty gem just in time for those years in college when one needs to get away from campus sans the bus and its predetermined schedule. Maya (the Solara) served me well for nearly 10 years and more than 128,000 miles.

There were good memories and those moments I wish didn’t happen. These are the accidents when the car behind me was speeding and then rams into the back of the car, severely damaging the bumper. However, that Toyota-made bumper protected me, so point to Toyota.

Anyways, the day arrived when I needed some new wheels. The great steering, stylish finish, powerful engine, dependability, affordability and incredible safety record led me, after an exhaustive search of countless car models, to return to the land of the Camry.

A 2016 Toyota Camry XLE, to be precise.

After a successful and comfortable ride home from the dealership late tonight in the rain (good sign), one thing came to mind. Enduring the joys and periodic pitfalls of driving a car for such a long time results in unforgettable milestones (100,000 mile mark!) and nostalgic reminiscing.

I’m gonna be showing you something we can all relate to.

And yes, I played and sang along to “500 Miles” by The Proclaimers on many, many occasions.

Maya had great acoustics.