Have you met Peter Rabbit?

I'm still trying to catch up on all my news, but have I introduced you to Peter Rabbit yet? A couple of days before I had to leave for South Carolina for research and training, my parents called me late in the evening. My brother has been lobbying to get a car, and my parents had been ever so close to buying him one. He and my father had even gone to several dealerships.

Well, it didn't happen. Instead, my parents called me that evening to tell me that they had decided that the Ant shouldn't have a new car, and they didn't want him dealing with an unknown used one. Their solution was to have me give him my car, and I would buy a new one. Great. I'd had no intention of buying a new car, I had no means of making payments on a new car, and I didn't have time to go looking at cars.

But I made arrangements for Ant to come up the next morning and, in between my summer internship, working at the restaurant, and trying to get ready for the SC trip, I tried out Hondas (the Fit and Civic), Toyotas (Yaris and Corolla), Nissans (Versa and Sentra) and Volkswagen's (Rabbit and Jetta). I spent hours waiting in dealerships and haggling (or trying to, at least) with salespeople. Some dealerships obviously took one look at the two of us, neither looking any more than 18, and decided we'd be easy pickings. I managed to get a good offer on a 2008 Versa, and I quite liked the car, too. But it hasn't been out very long, and I had no idea if it would be dependable in the long run.

The Rabbit was rather low on my list; although I liked it in the test drive, I thought it quite out of my price range. But, after calling between two different dealers, they started lowering their prices. In the end, I decided that, if I were to get a small car (and I really don't need a large one), I would get one that is known to be sturdy and dependable. It might be pricier than the Versa, and not as fuel efficient as the Civic, but I feel like a got a good deal on it.

So, this is Peter. I like that my car has a first name and a last name. Yeah, he still smells like a new car, and it makes me feel ever so slightly carsick, and I kind of wished for a silvery car instead of grey, but nobody is perfect. Peter and I are still getting to know each other. He's ever so earnest, but also a bit mischievous, too. He has a bigger appetite than my old Civic, and tends to gobble up his food more quickly, too. But he's quieter and steadier as well. Hopefully, Peter and I will be together for a good, long time.