I had the weird experience yesterday of watching my Mustang drive away and knowing it wasn’t coming back. This is the first time I have upgraded my car situation out of carefully planned options and free will as opposed to utter duress and freaking out. (Hello, new-to-me 2010 Prius…you are swell and a space car).

The Mustang…White Lightning as Katie dubbed it early on…was not a space car. It was a COOL car. A PONY CAR. I had to Google that term after I bought it. It surprised everyone who saw it because I am a nerd and a folkie type songwriter, and yes, a Prius is the perfect option for me. But for the last 6 years I got the joy of arriving by roaring up in a muscle car with no leg room in the back seat but a surprisingly large trunk for guitars and whatnot.

Back in 2014 when I was car shopping, I was dealing with a Scion that had resolutely died for no reason (I suspect a lightning strike or something but no one ever figured it out), and I wanted something SUPER simple, easy to repair, and yes…cool. Enter the 2006 Ford Mustang, bought at Leif Johnson Ford in South Austin, who were nice enough to take the Scion off my hands and pay off the rest of that loan. Ugh.

Off we went on adventures all over. The RWD always kind of messed with me in rainy weather, and I hydro-planed a little but I got the hang. The seats, surprisingly comfortable. The stereo, boomy and loud. My favorite.

We went to West Texas and Nashville twice and Minnesota and St. Louis and thrifted in Iowa and went to Colorado a bunch. Lots of sunsets, some moon rises.

I learned that it is HARD to tailgate with a Mustang, but when you’re in the parking lot of Red Rocks on a sunny Colorado day with Heidi and Heather, it works just fine.

Sometimes I had a hitchhiker, though I am nearly positive it was a carefully planted Geico commercial.

From the sunny smog of Los Angeles (twice) to the snowbanks of Albuquerque, the Mustang has seen some…stuff. A note: I have never had more fun than driving on the freeways in L.A. because this car could keep UP and I felt like I belonged. Everyone goes 80 there, or sits in traffic. Either one.

I bought it with 79,000 miles on it and I sold it to the next lucky owner with 217,543 logged. Yep. My mechanics said it was in great shape and would keep on running if I took good care…I attribute that to good ol’ muscle car power.

We had a great time together, and maybe one day I’ll get to own another Mustang (I very much would). For now, it’s fun to spend no money on gas and have a back seat that’s accessible by real doors – no more cramming 3 guitars in the backseat by shoving the passenger seat forward.

Here’s to the Mustang club…we are a rambling bunch. Here’s to the Pony Cars in our lives, giving us the ultimate cool cred.