On Friday I drove up to a beloved mountain to be on retreat with community and… my car didn’t appreciate the journey as much as I did.

Current issues include a rusted (and currently detached) exhaust system, tires that all need replacing to pass inspection, an oil leak of unspecified location, an ABS light that occasionally and worryingly pops on, and the normal loose pieces and weird noises a 17 year old car with 322,000 miles on it makes (yes actually).

The car may be temporarily repairable but it’s becoming increasingly apparent it will not pass inspection in February without significantly more work than it is worth.

I work full time in the intensive needs program at the local high school and, while I appreciate the work is needed and important it doesn’t pay anywhere near enough for me to afford a newer car, especially on the timeline I have. I haven’t been able to find alternative or additional work that would allow me to save up for a new (used) car quickly enough.

I live in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts and while there’s some limited public transportation options it is not at all feasible to be without a car for significant periods of time, especially entering winter.

It has been a rough 18 months with a divorce, job hunting, moving twice, and all the other pieces associated with that.

Having a reliable car that I can count on would really reduce my anxiety and increase my ability to move in and with communities in the ways I work best.