[Sethomas]

I used to be a really paranoid, conscientious driver, going into the license process with the same anxieties as FZ. Blind spots and intersections drove me crazy because I'm very conservative about pulling onto a road if there are any oncoming cars on the horizon, even if there are two lanes. I HAD to learn to drive because I lived out the country and any hope of finding work or a social life required it. What ultimately helped me shake off my habitual anxieties was driving in a convertible with the top down whenever possible. The appeal wasn't so much any vane desires as it was the difference in the experience, like, how much more visibility you have on the road. Being able to hear cars in my blind spots and knowing how to relate that to using mirrors and such ultimately made it much easier to drive in general. I once again drive a convertible (2000 Chrysler Sebring, Jxi) and I feel like a dork driving around town with the top down, but it's still a much more comfortable experience. And they're not all that more expensive if you know how to shop for them. I paid $4500 for mine when it had 67k miles on it, though I had to teach myself how to become a mechanic because I developed a paranoia about its service history.

On that note, a few weeks ago I replaced the timing belt, water pump, and valve gaskets. The labor quotes I got for that job were around $1000.