I see the dust accumulating on David’s car in the garage and I am painfully reminded of his absence. I miss him driving me and the girls. I miss going places with David. I console myself with fun memories of road trips we had.

David enjoyed driving, we went on so many road trips together. Driving was his default mode of transportation. Flying was only considered when it was more than a 10-hour drive each way. He prepped the car for the road trips ensuring that we were prepared for many situations. The blankets, pillows and bottles of water were some of the most essential items.

David drove and I enjoyed being the passenger and at times the annoying co-pilot. On rare occasions, he would let me drive after I remained adamant that he needed a break.

I remembered the first time I got in a car with David and I also have so many fun memories of driving with David. We tried to spend as much time together even when we did not have any destination in mind. We saw lots of sunrises and sunsets. We drove across State line and explored neighboring States. I enjoyed napping on the longer trips. MacDonald was the preferred stop for restroom breaks because David said they always have clean bathrooms.

Our longest road trip was from El Paso to Atlanta and he made it even longer by taking a longer route so we could see other places of interest along the coastline. Taking longer routes was something he did often to allow us to spend more time together.

The most impromptu trip was from Virginia to Orlando. Bored over a spring break holiday, I said let’s go to Disney and surprisingly he said YES. A few hours later, we were in the car on the way to Disney. My happiness that day matched that of overly excited kids on their way to Disney.

The most nerve-wrecking trip was in the UK as David tried to adjust to driving on the right side of the road. After he returned the rental car, he kissed the ground thankful that we returned safely.

The most unpredictable trip was going to see his parents for the first time. He assured me that I would have fun and there was nothing to anticipate and he was correct. His parents were ever so warm, welcoming, and loving.

The most frequent road trips were the ones David made to see me. For years, he would drive 10-hours each way just so we could spend as much time together. He always said time went flew by because listened to the same set of songs repeatedly.

Driving was something David enjoyed, his car is part of our memory of David. I was with him when he bought the car. It was the car we drove to the hospital to deliver our older daughter as he drove uncharacteristically nervous. It is the car he used drive to drop and pick up our daughters from school. They had their own songs they listened to in that car, those songs now trigger memories of David.

The car now sits in the garage with the battery completely drained. My older daughter has made it clear that she wants us to keep it. She was so upset when I asked if we should sell it and said “I am so angry that you will even ask that question”. She said even if it is not working, we need to keep it as one of Daddy’s memories.

So the car continues to sit in the garage and my younger daughter fondly points to it often and says “that is my Daddy’s car”.