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1 Year Anniversary of Ownership!

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Btrflyl8e

MSLR, W/W 21s FSD 1145 DEL 11/26 VIN MF454
Supporting Member
Mar 24, 2013
2,890
2,722
Seminole, FL
Today marks exactly 1 year with my Model S. Not to sound dramatic, but it was a life-changing purchase. I've made longer road trips BECAUSE I drive a Tesla than I did before. It's the planning and the unmatched driving experience that fuel my desire to find places to go in it. Which means I've actually taken time away from work to relax; something I had started to neglect.

I gained a new passion for something away from my job, which created new interactions with people outside of my industry. That alone is refreshing, believe me. Banking can be a dull world!

I lost nearly all my road rage and commuter stress. I've actually heard myself say out loud to someone driving like an idiot in traffic when there's nowhere to go, "relax there, chief. You aren't accomplishing anything except raising your blood pressure". Before my Tesla I'm pretty sure I was that idiot.

And for a girl who never finished college, and started at the bottom in a large corporation, I sometimes just make myself think about how my past self would ever believe that one day I'd be able to afford this car, and not even have a loan on it after a year. So for me, my Tesla was the ultimate way to reward myself for years of hard work.

Thanks, Tesla. And happy birthday #9555. We'll celebrate a little later on that stretch of bridge you love so much, you know the one. :wink:

Christal
 
And for a girl who never finished college, and started at the bottom in a large corporation, I sometimes just make myself think about how my past self would ever believe that one day I'd be able to afford this car, and not even have a loan on it after a year. So for me, my Tesla was the ultimate way to reward myself for years of hard work.

Besides the girl part this line spoke to me the strongest. I spent 8 years working full time on my career, paid for my own school, and came from a not so rich family. To be able to afford the Model S and be able to pay off the small loan I have to take out to get it in a year is great! I spent so long working not rewarding myself for my efforts, this is the payment I get. This is something I am really passionate about and it is rewarding to know that hard work pays off. :)

June can't come soon enough for my new car!

How many miles do you have on your car and is your range about the same still?
 
Oh wow! You drive twice as much as I do. Glad that worked out for you that much, I am looking forward to picking mine up in TX here! For me, me and my wife will be sharing the car and driving it as much as possible so maybe it will be getting up to those heights. Most be nice to have minimal maintenance for the mileage.
 
I never put this many miles on a car in a year before in my life. Because I have the longer commute (40 miles round trip), we used to take my boyfriend's Silverado for any errands around town, since he barely puts 2,000 miles a year on it. Not anymore! I can't even stand the thought of riding in it. So not only is he saving gas and miles now, he gets chauffeured around! I don't let him drive it, he's a horrible driver.

Side note, I pass my local Jiffy Lube every morning and afternoon. They are sometimes standing on the sidewalk trying to get people in... I have taken all my previous cars there for the last 20+ years... now I just wave and they smile and wave back. I feel a little sorry for them...
 
Congrats...

You are about 2.5 weeks ahead of me... my 1 yr anniversary date in on 5/24. I'll be right at about 25K miles in that initial year.

Finish college? Was I supposed to start? ;) Amazing what some hard work and fiscally responsible decision making can do.

Love the car. Oh and Btrflyl8e, you have good taste in color selection...
 
Today marks exactly 1 year with my Model S. Not to sound dramatic, but it was a life-changing purchase. I've made longer road trips BECAUSE I drive a Tesla than I did before. It's the planning and the unmatched driving experience that fuel my desire to find places to go in it. Which means I've actually taken time away from work to relax; something I had started to neglect.

I gained a new passion for something away from my job, which created new interactions with people outside of my industry. That alone is refreshing, believe me. Banking can be a dull world!

I lost nearly all my road rage and commuter stress. I've actually heard myself say out loud to someone driving like an idiot in traffic when there's nowhere to go, "relax there, chief. You aren't accomplishing anything except raising your blood pressure". Before my Tesla I'm pretty sure I was that idiot.

And for a girl who never finished college, and started at the bottom in a large corporation, I sometimes just make myself think about how my past self would ever believe that one day I'd be able to afford this car, and not even have a loan on it after a year. So for me, my Tesla was the ultimate way to reward myself for years of hard work.

Thanks, Tesla. And happy birthday #9555. We'll celebrate a little later on that stretch of bridge you love so much, you know the one. :wink:

Christal
You said it all, and I love that you are enjoying life a little more. It is great that you found something to relax with, I came from a family where my father never went to high school, had to go to work in the fields to help provide for the family. Put my self through college on the GI bill, worked full time and went to school full time. Realized in my early 50's I needed to stop and smell the roses. Have had nice cars my whole life but nothing like the Tesla. Life is short and enjoy it how ever you can, I had my 1 year on May 4th and still pinch myself everyday that I really own this amazing piece of machinery. My only problem with this car is that all the money I save on gas is going for lunch or dinners because we are always finding a reason to go for a ride. Enjoy!
 
Happy anniversary! Great post. It's so strange that a mere car can generate so many similar feelings across so many different people. Oh wait, it's not the car, it's the life-changing ideas developed and realized into a physical object. Or something (I barely passed the one philosophy course I took). But 4 months, 5k miles into this, and the vehicle is far more than the sum of all it's parts - somehow the vehicles all collectively have a soul. Sort of; or maybe its the shared driver spirit. Maybe I shouldn't post this.
 
Happy anniversary! Great post. It's so strange that a mere car can generate so many similar feelings across so many different people. Oh wait, it's not the car, it's the life-changing ideas developed and realized into a physical object. Or something (I barely passed the one philosophy course I took). But 4 months, 5k miles into this, and the vehicle is far more than the sum of all it's parts - somehow the vehicles all collectively have a soul. Sort of; or maybe its the shared driver spirit. Maybe I shouldn't post this.
This post made me laugh for 5 minutes straight! I'm glad you posted it!

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Congrats on your 1 year with your car. Very inspiring words about your life.

Thanks, Hussain! My 29 year old niece recently told me she admired me for what I've accomplished without a degree. I told HER to shut her piehole because I do NOT need that kind of pressure. LOL

I'm just trying to live and be happy and not be a drain on others :wink:
 
Happy Anniversary 'Blue Girl'! I don't really know you but I am happy for you regarding both your car purchase decision and the personal accomplishments you noted in your original post. Happy motoring!
 
Love this thread!
Thanks, Motordean, and welcome! I tried to take a pic of my energy graph showing our "celebration" across our favorite bridge span, but alas my phone's camera flaked out and by the time I got to reboot it had dropped off even the 30 mile average. Let's just say we enjoyed our 2 minutes of speed where no one was in danger! I love bridges... and today it was like everyone let me have it all to myself.

Thanks to all who commented. The car, Tesla, TMC, and all of the events I've attended roll up into so much more than just ownership of the coolest car ever. I've gotten to meet some really interesting people, and move up 50 cool points on my nephew's rating scale. He and I are the only car people in my family, so in March of 2013 at a family dinner, when I announced I was getting a Tesla, he didn't dare believe me. He told me I "couldn't afford a Tesla", lol. I had to show him my Tesla dashboard before he believed I wasn't joking. Then all he said was, "I'd better be the first person in this family to get a ride in it". And he was, although it was tricky since he's in a wheelchair and my brother in law was out of town. Two women transferring a 24 year old (albeit small) young man from a power chair through that small Tesla door was... not elegant!
 
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Congrats on your 1 year anniversary. Today is my 11 month anniversary.

I remember your posts over a year ago how excited you were before you got it, and then when you did. And I was feeling the same things only a month behind you.

Like your story, mine is similar in a few ways and I can relate to your happiness this past year.
 
Congrats...

You are about 2.5 weeks ahead of me... my 1 yr anniversary date in on 5/24. I'll be right at about 25K miles in that initial year.

Finish college? Was I supposed to start? ;) Amazing what some hard work and fiscally responsible decision making can do.

Love the car. Oh and Btrflyl8e, you have good taste in color selection...

And I'm right behind you guys. June 6 coming up.

There is something to be said about road rage be gone, enter instead, calm joy with my daily 2 hours on the road now.
New friends, new passion indeed.
 
Great thread! And I have a very similar story as yours. No college, middle class family, and just at 14 months ownership now. Same observations about demeanor as well. I'm more relaxed driving the Model S too and have more patience despite the fact it feels like everyone drives SLOWER than I remember. I'm putting on miles at twice the rate annually as my previous cars. Keep driving and keep smiling! :smile:
 
Congrats CW-Greg!

I'm also putting miles on the S faster than probably any other car I've owned... probably because although it replaced my daily driver, we also tend to take it rather than the SUV for most weekend driving as well...

As an interesting aside, at my 1 year ownership mark I estimate I will have (w/ 25K miles):

- Saved nearly 1,500 gallons of fuel at the pump (1466.67)
- Saved $5,500 in fuel expenses (@ $3.75/gal)

Of course there are charging costs, but for me they are only about $60-80/mo... so less than $1000/yr.
 
Hasn't it been an awesome year!? Yeah, I was a little crazed last year waiting... LOL
Happy Anniversary Btrflyl8e. Me too. Just about a week ahead of you.
Over the past year, my Model S has become my long distance car; something I never imagined would happen. In July, I did Teslive in one day, putting 700 mi on the r/t from SoCal; Superchargers all the way. Next week, for my birthday, we're driving up through Eastern Utah for some mountain biking in Moab, hiking in Arches, and rafting the Colorado. I've never been through this part of the country so I'm very excited about the trip. These are not places I would have thought an electric car could manage just 2 years ago. My Model S has definitely added some adventure!
Cheers.