How S's Injury Finally Pushed Us to Get a Car
A rental, not a purchase!
We first started looking at doing a long-term car rental back in September, but we were on the fence about how much we would really use a car and whether the cost was worth it. Driving in Tirana isn’t like driving elsewhere; roads are narrow and cramped and traffic is constant. Plus, drivers are chaotic and there’s basically no parking. So we would really only use a car to go to the mall or other areas on the outskirts of town, as well as for exploring beyond Tirana.
So we kept delaying. A car would be nice, but it wasn’t necessary. Then S got injured and we realized that having a car, even if we only used it sporadically, was a necessity in an urgent situation. So as we rode home from the hospital in yet another taxi, I messaged the car rental guy I had established a relationship with and asked what he had available. I told him we were finally ready.
He’s constantly wheeling and dealing as cars come in off of long-term contracts, so his inventory changes all the time. It’s like looking for a used car, only you have maybe a handful of choices, if that. They’re all older models, but the monthly payment includes insurance and any repairs that may be needed. Plus, you can ask for aftermarket options like backup cameras or a new sound system or whatever it is that you may want to be added, if it doesn’t already exist.
When we messaged, he had a 2018 Buick Encore available, automatic. It’s FWD vs AWD and it’s more compact than my Subaru Outback, which we left behind in the States. (That’s a long story for another day.) In fact, it’s only a tiny bit bigger than the VW Golf we rented in Albania back in the spring, so pretty compact. It was that or an older Volvo SUV, but after having owned a Volvo years ago, we (especially C) said never again. So Buick it was!
It was the easiest car decision ever if you subtract all the months of hemming and hawing over whether or not to even get a car, LOL. I can’t believe we’re driving an American car; it wouldn’t have been my top choice. Surprisingly, though, it’s quite nimble and responsive. We’ll only rent it until June, when the girls are done with school and we head out to travel over the summer.
So, the question now is: Where will we go in the car and how soon till I have a Salobreña moment? (Truly, I hope not to have one!)