She's mine! All mine!!!!!

With the final payment going through last night, I am today the proud owner of a 1993 Jeep Cherokee. That's right--the oil-leaking, overheating, wobbling, bent and battered box that has been my ride for the last five years now belongs completely and fully to me.
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Something doesn't seem quite right there.

It wasn't supposed to take this long. See, when I finished college, I went straight into the workplace, and found myself with, what I considered to be, an AMAZING paycheck. My newfound *wealth* gave me a sense of power I hadn't felt before, and it didn't take me long to dispose of it. Three years of payments seemed easily affordable, and my mathematical skills showed me that I could theoretically have it paid off in a year and a half!
Well, theory met reality, and it wasn't pleasant. Suffice to say, five years of paying for a vehicle that is degrading beneath your feet (quite literally, in fact..watch where you step when you get in) gets pretty old, pretty fast.
Looking back, many would say it wasn't a wise financial choice. I probably should have realized it was going to be a rocky ride when the engine died on the test drive, spewing coolant all over the car lot. But it was too late--I was already in love.
As my first vehicle, this will be the one I will always remember. The adventures I and my friends have had in it will live on in our memories, long after its demise. From conventions ("what do you think of when you see a red jeep?") to retreats ("Ok, Tim, I *know* we can fit that keyboard...we just have to be more creative in our packing") to spontaneous road trips (ever raced taxis through NYC at 3:00 AM?), the good times we've had will never be forgotten.