Jen and I took a step tonight that we feel pushes us into the mystical realm of adulthood — even more than having Seb. We purchased a station wagon (a 2000 Subaru Outback) this evening, and traded in the Impreza. It took us months to finally decide that a coupe was not the ideal vehicle if you have a child, and after numerous stops and starts, we got a car. A station wagon. Only one step higher on the food chain than a minivan. Several steps lower than the Impreza.

We’ve fought hard over the years to not be adults…we’ve done the psuedo-climbing bum thing, living out of our car at crags in the South and Colorado. We’ve lived in sparse apartments that were roughly as clean as college dorm rooms. When I finally got a *real* job we moved up in the world, and bought the Impreza, a little pocket rocket that could zip around town, and to the crags. Who cared that it barely fit bouldering pads and camping gear — we were young and free! Whee! Now, before you think this is some rant about how I (we) miss the “good ol’ days,” let me assure you, it isn’t. Change is a good thing. This is a really good change. Actually, that might be an understatement. If given the chance to take it all back and be a carefree youth again, I’d pass. Things are too good now. And I don’t mean because we’re better off financially (heh).

But I digress….

Now, we own a dapper navy blue and khaki wagon (Yikes! It even matches my clothes. How embarrassing.). It’s a nice car, and perhaps I feel like I have to look nice to be able to drive it. I feel like the car came with a contract that says “you will try and act more like an adult now.” But then I realize, we’ll still be listening to lo-fi music in it, and within a few weeks, the back will be cluttered with climbing gear and covered with chalk, and it will be ok. We’ll still be ourselves, and we’ll still be clinging to every last bit of our youth. We will not be “adults” because we’ve got a station wagon and kid, and we’re looking for a house. We’ll still rather go climbing on the weekends, and we’ll still have piles of laundry (both clean and dirty) in our bedroom. And our furniture won’t match.

So there…I’m a kid again! Wheeeeee!

Posted on 6 October 2003