Two Year Jeepiversary

Like everything in my life, I’m a day late and a dollar short with this post, but it’s better late than never. Yesterday was the two year anniversary of the day I bought my Jeep. This may seem relatively trivial to you, but as a Jeep owner, I can attest to the fact that owning a Jeep is very much akin to a healthy marriage: It has its ups and downs, it requires a lot of work and a good deal of investment, but with a little ingenuity and commitment, it will be incredibly fulfilling and insanely enjoyable.

Similar to riding a motorcycle, driving a Jeep is an easy way to turn driving into one of your favorite parts of the experience of traveling.

By the numbers:

Name – Mr Potatohead
Date of purchase – October 31st, 2014
Mileage at the time of purchase – 65,230
Mileage at the end of yesterday – 96,993
Mileage put on during the first two years – 31,763
Average miles per year – 15,881.5 (that’s on top of the 5,000 or so per year I put on the Harley!)
State of Origin – Alaska
State where I purchased her – North Carolina
Number of states we’ve driven through together – 12
Number of times she’s been stuck in the mud – 2
Number of times she’s been stuck in the snow – 0
Deepest water crossing she’s made – 32″
Deepest mud crossing she’s made (without getting stuck) – 26″

As stated above, I bought the Jeep at a used car dealership in Havelock, North Carolina. After nearly five months of online searches and over a week of negotiations, I flew one way on Friday the 31st, took the Jeep for a short test ride, then signed the paperwork and handed them my check! Because I was so close to the coast, I drove her 20 minutes further south to Atlantic Beach to have a celebratory oceanside dinner at the Crab’s Claw.

That whole evening was an unbelievably exciting experience, having just flown south and bought a vehicle I have long-desired, then driven it to the coast for a beachside dinner. The spontaneity of the dinner was an exhilarating foreshadow the years to follow!

Here are just a few (OK, quite a few) pictures from the past two years of the enjoyment I’ve derived from owning Mr Potatohead. Here’s to many more enjoyable years to come!