The other day, I handed over my keys, and I didn’t expect to feel the lump in my throat that came with it.
I traded in my Mercedes. My 2019 GLA 250 SUV, the one I bought outright after COVID when the lease came due. She was seven years old, still gorgeous, still turning heads in the parking lot. But she was ready to move on. And, if I’m being honest, so was I.
Here’s the thing: this wasn’t just about a car. It was about closing a chapter.
When the Car Made the Statement
When I started HJMT Public Relations, I believed the car mattered. A lot. I drove up to client meetings in a Jaguar first, then a BMW, and eventually I fell hard for Mercedes. There’s just something about that drive, the way it hugs the road, the quiet luxury, the feeling of I’ve arrived. Over the years, I’ve owned about a dozen. A dozen! I was extremely loyal.
And back then, that loyalty made sense. In PR, perception is currency. When you pull up to meet a potential client, the message starts before you say a single word. My Mercedes told people I was successful, polished, someone worth trusting with their brand. It was part of the pitch, whether I admitted it or not.
I genuinely thought I’d drive a Mercedes forever. I couldn’t picture myself in anything else.
Why I Finally Let Go
So what changed? A few things, actually.
The practical side is easy to explain. At seven years old, the little issues start creeping in. The transmission was on my mind, because with any car, that’s usually where the trouble begins. And parts? Between the vehicle’s age and the tariffs driving prices through the roof, keeping a luxury European car running was starting to feel less like a treat and more like a slow leak in my bank account.
Then there was the trade-in value, which, let me tell you, was a gut punch. After all those years of loyalty, I got pennies for her. Pennies. That stung more than the mechanical stuff, because it felt personal, even though I know it wasn’t.
But the biggest reason is one I’ve only recently been able to say out loud. I don’t need to impress anyone anymore.
The Real Shift
This car change lines up with a much bigger life change. I’m saying goodbye to HJMT PR for good and turning the corner toward a new adventure: focusing fully on my media company.
For decades, my business ran on relationships, image, and the constant work of winning over clients. That world rewarded the shiny car in the driveway. But I’m not chasing that anymore. I’m not pulling into lots hoping a prospect notices what I drive. My next chapter is about creating, connecting, and building something on my own terms.
And when I looked at it that way, the Mercedes suddenly felt like a costume I’d outgrown.
Hello, Mazda
So I did something I never imagined I’d do. I bought a Mazda CX-5.
Here’s what surprised me: it’s plush. I mean genuinely plush inside, comfortable and thoughtful, with little touches that made me smile the moment I sat down. It’s a fraction of the cost, and it just feels right for where I am now.
Do I know if I’ll love the drive the way I loved my Mercedes? Not yet. That’s the honest truth. Part of me is holding its breath, waiting to see if this new car can make me feel that same joy behind the wheel. Old loyalties don’t disappear overnight.
But I’m choosing to be open to it.
Turning the Corner
Endings are strange things. You can be completely ready for one and still feel a pang when it arrives. Trading in that Mercedes was the closing of an era, a goodbye to the woman who needed the fancy car to prove she belonged.
I don’t need the proof anymore. I know who I am, and I know where I’m headed.
So here’s to the new adventure, to the media company I’m pouring my heart into, and to a surprisingly cozy little Mazda that’s about to log a lot of miles with me.
The best part of any journey is the road ahead. I can’t wait to see where this one takes me.