Home Sweet Home
Price: $66,000
Materials: Colored pencil on paper
Dimensions: 8 ⅜" x 5 ¼ "
Created: 2019
The Story: 6610 Beach Front Road. That's the apartment I put a deposit down on while in the hospital and this image was drawn in the cafeteria after doing so. The stick figures are me, my ex, and dog Lily.
I know I said a Saab 9-5 Wagon is my favorite car of all time but when I was imagining my dream life back then I actually drew a VW Vanagon.
I settled for the Saab after crunching some numbers. The car wasn't the only area of my life I was settling in. I settled for a career I wasn't happy with. I settled for a relationship that was past it's expiration date. Nothing I drew in this image went according to plan.
Life in that apartment was rough. I never got the car. My wife left me.
Part of the reason I probably blew the head gasket on my Saab twice was trying to turn it into a poor mans version of a VW camper. I got a popup rooftop tent and was pulling more weight than I should have with a bunch of other gear. I barely made it to the airport with my dog to move to Hawaii. Somehow I went all the way from Mt. Shasta to San Diego with that thing leaking coolant like it had IBS for a week prior. I lost count of how many bottles I had to refill it with. I scrapped the car in San Deigo before my flight and the AirTag says it's somewhere in Mexico now. Rest in peace old friend and thanks for the incredible times.
I loved that car but the head gasket was just the final blow. There were constant repairs on that twenty year old thing and with the limited amount of mechanics in Hawaii I wanted to lease something brand new. I made a practical decision.
I totally thought I was going Subaru until test driving one and I wasn't impressed. I happened to be driving by a Jeep dealership afterwards and figured why not. Once I hopped in a Jeep 4XE I was like, dude, this is it. A Wrangler with a one push top seemed like the ultimate vehicle for Hawaii. 4WD, hybrid, and I love having an almost vertical windshield that makes the viewing experience of all the natural beauty less intruded upon with glass. It feels like looking out the window of a home, not a car. That first track I channeled in Sedona happened while renting a Wrangler too. These things are great for coming up with rap lyrics. 2024 too? Dude, I never have to go to the shop again ever.
It was great for a while... until it wasn't. This vehicle was in the shop like eight times in the span of three months. As someone who has a very high attention to detail, there are also so many design decisions that I'm like fuck, I totally bought a mid-life Chrysler. That term shall no longer be relegated to the infamous Sebring.
I'm over it and I want what I always wanted; an old Vanagon. I thought I was going to be done with the car camping thing after staying in a bunch of fancy AirBnbs here but that's really not the case. Someone also got in my head about what a particular woman might think about the car camping thing and that caused me to go astray too. I'm going to have a home but I want to be able to take weekend trips to different parts of the island and crash in a VW camper wherever I please.
Moral of the story... never settle or allow people to project their insecurities onto you. Go for what you truly want even if it seems impractical or unsophisticated to others. In the long run, that's the only way your going to find your way to Home Sweet Home.
That, and never take your dog for granted. When I said nothing went according to plan I forgot one very important thing...
Lily is ride or die for life 💜
Notes: All of the artwork I'm offering for sale is incredibly meaningful to me. Prices are based on what I would actually consider trading it for. In this case that is a $66,000 for a VW Vanagon Synchro with Subaru motor. 4WD is a must here and this price should also cover the shipping to Hawaii and trading in the the Wrangler. Considering it's called Home Sweet Home and my house number growing up was 66 this price seemed fitting.
Tax and shipping are included in price. Please contact me if you'd like to pay with a method other than Stripe.
Mahalo.