We’ve been here in Sedona a few weeks now. We're settling into this desert dream and I feel things beginning to shift. After getting a few hikes under our belts and being able to commune with nature a little more I’m beginning to feel some of the trauma of the past few years beginning to melt away. Attached is a photo and video montage of our last week here in the desert. I hope you enjoy it!
In Other News
I’ve decided to trade in the 2016 “Toyoda” Prius I bought in 2017 with my Steemit proceeds. With prices of used cars, especially hybrids, so astronomically high I felt it was the perfect time to make the move.
What?
I was astonished to learn that Carvana offered me just a few hundred dollars less than I paid for the car in 2017. I’ve never dealt with Carvana, nor know anyone who has, but hopefully the offer is legit and the transaction is seamless. This was almost like driving the Prius for five years for nothing, it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned.
I always told myself that my Prius would be my last I.C.E. vehicle and this premonition turned out to be true because just last night I ordered this…
The long range AWD Tesla 3 in midnight gray metallic. I’ve been a fan of what Elon Musk has been doing with Tesla and SpaceX for quite some time. Ordering this last night felt almost like a dream. If you remember THIS BLOG POST from three years ago it’s been a dream a long time in the making.
My Model 3 will be produced in the Freemont, CA factory and should be ready for delivery sometime between June and August so I have plenty of time to take a deep dive into the specs of this vehicle. In the meantime I’ll try to imagine what 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds actually feels like. I can't wait. : )
I have so much to learn about the car and how it will integrate into our lives. I initially was looking at the Model Y but it would've been around $20,000 more for a vehicle with the same performance. I decided the extra room that I would gain with the Model Y wasn't worth that much to me.
I'll have more to report soon. Have a wonderful Friday all!
-Eric
(Photos and videos are original.)
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Let’s Keep In Touch
Hi Eric, what a nice vacation to be able to climb the mountain and enjoy the natural scenery. Thanks for the video. I can get to know the forest in your area which is very different from the tropical forests in Indonesia. Wow .. you ordered a new car apparently. .hope you enjoy it when the car is delivered. Have a nice day, Eric.
Hi Eliana! It's amazing here. So beautiful. Yes, I've been planning for about three years to get this Tesla Model 3 and now seemed like the right time since the value of used cars is so high due to the silicon chip shortages. I hope you've enjoyed your weekend!
Damn that's pretty cool! In Germany we got the "new Gigafactory" and the first Teslas were sold. Mr. Musk handed the first ones over to the customers!
!PIZZA
I just saw a video about the opening of Gigafactory Berlin. They're experimenting with new painting techniques at that facility. It's supposed to be the most advanced paint job of any manufacturer to date!
Oh that's good to know!
It is good to know know that you are getting your dream car.
I am still struggling to get mine dream car.
Looking forward to know more updates from your side.
Thanks! I hope you can achieve your dream soon. What kind of car would you like?
That's surprise, i will reveal that once i get it.
Thank you ❤️
Hello dear friend @ericvancewalton good afternoon
What a beautiful video; I am passionate about nature, I love spending the day in the mountains, without a doubt I would love to visit that place
It's good that you are planning a change of vehicle, and that yours has been valued well
You do very well to see all the pros and cons they may have, so you can choose the vehicle that best suits your needs.
enjoy the weekend
I'm at my happiest when I'm in nature too. This is unlike any place I've ever been. It's so peaceful.
Thank you! Hopefully the Tesla is a good choice. With a change as radicle as this you never know exactly how it's going to integrate into your life. I think swapping the gasoline engined car for an EV is a good choice right now and the market for used cars is CRAZY here in the States. I'm getting much more for my trade-in than I would if I waited. Enjoy your weekend as well!
Dreams do come true if you believe in them and work towards them! Life has been good to you because you deserve it, I'm sure you can't wait to sit behind that steering wheel!
So glad you're enjoying your vacation, I'm sure it feels like heaven after the past 2 years💖
That is so true, Lizelle, dreams are definitely attainable! Thank you so much, sometimes I still have to pinch myself. They've updated my delivery date to June 25-August 6 so I'll be sitting behind that wheel soon. We get back home in early May and that'll give me plenty of time to get the Prius sold. Thanks, our time has been really lovely here. It's going to hit 82 degrees (F) here today and back in Minnesota it's still snowing. : )
I really enjoyed your vacation video, my friend. A relaxing combination between the images and the music.
I'm really glad you made one of your wishes come true, that's very nice. I know you will enjoy it.
I send you many blessings from Venezuela. A hug, my friend.
Thank you @aurodivys! I hope you and your family have a fabulous weekend!
Best of luck for your new dream car. Really agree with your words that memories make us feel a little more alive.
Thanks!
That is awesome! Congrats on reaching that dream! I am really happy for you. I know that @kommienezuspadt just got a Tesla a short time ago and he loves it. You might want to check out some of his latest posts (if you haven't already). He has learned a lot of things in the short time he has owned it and shared them in his blog. There aren't that many Tesla's around where I live, but every now and then you see one and it is kind of a show stopping moment.
Thank you! I have seen Lars' posts about his new Y! That's really the one I wanted but the Model 3 is a good compromise. My wife has a larger vehicle so we'll probably use hers for longer road trips and mine for buzzing around town. I do want to take the 3 on a trip back to Ohio at least once to see what it's like. We're seeing more and more Teslas in the Twin Cities. I love the idea of features being added with OTA updates. Happy Friday to you my friend!
I figured you had since you are both from the same general area, but I wanted to be sure just in case. I feel like they are only going to keep getting better. For me right now it isn't practical to have one, but maybe one day it will be.
I’m on the edge of an EV being practical. I won’t have the ability to plug in at home or connect to WiFi for updates but there’s a charger just a few miles away and I discovered you can use your iPhone as a hotspot to push the updates through without Wi-Fi. It’s definitely going to be an adventure. 😊
It sounds like it! That is good you were able to find a workaround.
I'm glad you're all right. I don't know much about cars, but I will say one thing, she is a beauty.
Thank you @magnata!
Did you do a test drive of the 3?
I did to a test drive with my buddy Juan back in 2019 and did a post about it here. I just drove the standard RWD Model 3 and it blew me away. I guess my bar for acceleration and performance is pretty low since I'm used to driving the Prius. Lol. The car is so much more advanced now, it'll be fun to get to know it over time. Hope you're well, man!
Electric acceleration is very good yeah. Also I can imagine getting used to it because there's no feedback of a revving engine. A friend has a Porsche Taycan and I noticed between driving and being a passenger you actually notice the fast acceleration more while in the passenger seat! But you do get a feel that you can be at +30 miles per hour in a second if you need to change lanes or do other fun things :)
Oh yeah, I bet as passenger the lack of control makes it all more exhilarating. The Taycan is very nice. I bet the build quality is better than Tesla. I just heard that Porsche may be teaming up with Apple for their new EV. I checked the specs on the Model 3 I ordered and it has the equivalent of 449hp. That sounds insane (and fun) to me coming from a Prius that barely has 100hp if the wind is behind it. 😂
Nowadays I am planning something similar to what you did in 2017. I am planning to earn enough to buy and live in a used working SUV before he next winter (in the next eight or nine months). My current target is a Land Rover, because nowadays that is the most affordable used working SUV in my country (in Hungary). It is around $2000 USD, and nowadays I have around $1144 HBD, so I am approximately halfway to the goal.
By the way, congratulations for your new Tesla Model 3. Have a lot of enjoyment and happiness with it. Be healthy and drive safely.
Have a nice day and have a nice weekend.
All the best. Greetings and much love from Hungary.
Thank you! I'm so glad you're getting closer to your goal. You should have plenty of time reach that goal before winter. I'm excited to see your progress! Take care my friend and enjoy your week ahead.
Congratulations!!!! The closest Elon and I are is his stock, but, I am not sad about that. He has made it a worthy adventure! I am so happy for you! It's my dream, but, I think I have to wait a little longer!
You are totally the man!
Hope you are enjoying the desert. I always forget how pretty it is. Love the red rocks. ;)
Thank you! That's a great stock to own. We own some via index funds but not directly. I'm a huge fan of Tesla and SpaceX. Neuralink scares me a bit, there are practical applications but it could go dark (and quickly). I think Elon will definitely go down as one of the largest contributors to the good of humanity in history.
It seemed like the perfect time to make the move to an EV. The used car market is INSANE. I'm glad I ordered when I did, I just heard that those ordering this week will likely have to wait until the end of the year to take delivery. I've had a lot of fun learning all about the car on YouTube.
Thank you! I'm hoping the time doesn't speed by too quickly here. The weather back in MN is atrocious right now but it should be better by the time we're traveling back. My fingers will be crossed!
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Wow, congrats! It always nice to see that dreams do come true, some just need a bit of time.