Getting out there

I was out for dinner with a person who has not been in my life for very long; we've known each other for a few years but only as general acquaintances so we didn't know a whole lot about each other. That changed about six or so months ago and since then it seems a lifetime of understanding has unfolded. It's been nice, peeling back her layers and revealing some of my own and I look forward to more of the same.

Anyway recently, the subject of vehicles came up and she was surprised, amazed, confused about the fact that I've had somewhere around fifty five vehicles in my life - I lose count...it's fifty four or fifty five. Each had a purpose and I sometimes had multiple vehicles at the one time but as we were talking I guess I saw it at arms' length and realised that it was truly a lot of vehicles to have owned.

Over the last week or so I've been thinking on it as the conversation made me think about why I've had so many, why I bought each one and what benefit each had. That led me to thinking about which I liked the most.

I've had some amazing vehicles and have enjoyed each one for various reasons but thinking about which are most favoured doesn't take long at all. As someone who loves the outdoors, hunting, camping, hiking, kayaking and so on, it's very important I'm able to get to where those things take place so the vehicles I've liked the most are those which have taken me there, that means four wheel drives.

It wasn't too long ago that four wheel drives were rudimentary, uncomfortable, noisy, black-smoke-puffing diesel-engined beasts without much refinement at all. That's changed slowly along with the technology behind them in an ever-evolving process of improvement.

That said, four wheel drives have become so refined that they've lost a lot of their ruggedness and that means effectiveness as well. I don't think that's a good thing, certainly not for me as I need my off-road vehicles to be tough as nails because I use them pretty hard. It is what it is though, and the softening up of four wheel drive vehicles has brought rise to a multitude of aftermarket options which is an industry in itself and while it's costly, it means I can enhance the factory offering with a gazillion performance improvements...and I do.

In the image is one of the four wheel drives I used to own doing what it did best and I recall such great times had in this vehicle although some of them broke it. It's been the same with most of my four wheel drives; going where I go and doing what I do in them is always eventually going to break something, but even when that happens there's a certain enjoyment factor from it - being there, not breaking the vehicle. Sure, it hurts the back pocket and causes no end of problems considering these breakages usually happen in remote areas but life exists to be enjoyed and because I find enjoyment from being in such places I have to accept that things will go wrong. Being prepared for them is the key.

I've enjoyed all of my vehicles and bought each one for a specific purpose whether it was looks, performance and handing, load or towing capabilities, off-road use, professional presentation or just simply because I thought it was a cool vehicle...but the ones I've loved the most, those which have given me the most all-round value and enjoyment, have been my four wheel drives; they've allowed me to get out there and to live life to its fullest and that's what it's all about for me.