No “I’ll Be Back”

Last month I shared the story that I hit a deer (see story here). I had my car towed to the auto body shop to have it repaired. The good thing was that the insurance company would cover the cost. I was hoping that I’ll get it back after a short while.

After 2 weeks in the shop, I received a call from the mechanic that they found more unforeseen damage in my car. My insurance company later informed me that they deemed my car a total wreck. I guess they estimated that it would cost them more to have my car repaired, than to pay me its current market value.

They instructed me to get all my personal belongings that were still in the car, and bid it goodbye. There was a twinge of sadness as I received the news.

I have driven this car from coast to coast, from the warm beaches of California to the cold mountains of Vermont, and several other states in between.

Since I was busy with my ICU rotation, I requested my wife to go to the shop and retrieve all my personal effects from the car. Like my umbrella, my winter hat and gloves, a pair of eyeglasses, face masks, some pens, and other unimportant items.

My wife also took this photo, so I can have a last “look” at my car.

I feel like I’m in the last scene of the movie Terminator II, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, when they were saying goodbye to this mangled one-eyed machine.

See the similarity? Except my car could not say, “I’ll be back.”

Thank you for taking me to places. Goodbye car!

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Addendum:

Here’s the earliest photo that I have with my car. Taken somewhere in Montana in 2016, and my car was in the background.