Wrangler
Over the years, family members and friends learned something that put a big smile on my face. Buying me a Jeep Wrangler. I got a few of them.
Except these weren’t real-life Jeep Wranglers. One friend gave me a Hot Wheels version. A few years ago, my family gifted me a Lego version for the holidays. I even bought myself a photo of a vintage Wrangler.
I get it. Wranglers are expensive and impractical. That stopped me from getting one several times. But not any longer. I finally bought one a few weeks ago, pulling a 2022 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport S into my driveway.
I almost got one in college, but I balked because of the horrible gas milage and my long commute at the time. Years later, I needed a dependable vehicle to drive to work. It didn’t have to look good, just had to run. My $5,000 budget had me looking at Wranglers with holes in the floorboards. I didn’t make that purchase either.
However, selling our seldom-used camping trailer meant I had extra cash and no longer needed our Ford Escape for towing. I toyed with going back down to one vehicle for our family, but our schedules have grown busier, making that harder. Plus, my family kept encouraging me to finally get a Wrangler. “Either get one, or stop talking about it,” they said. Fair enough.
I know it’s not practical. To be honest, I’ll rarely take it off-road. I doubt I’ll lift it. To me, it just looks cool. I like its World War II heritage, the way it drives like a small truck and the top’s ability to come off. It makes me happy, and I hope to make some good memories with it. First though, I need a name for it.