Ever since my high school days, the Beetle has been the most beautiful car in the world to me. For years, I kept telling my dad it was the only car I ever wanted to drive. Either a Beetle, or don’t bother buying me anything else!
Still, years later, I never imagined that my graduation present would be exactly that. I’ll never forget that day. Dad and I were driving along when we passed a white Beetle, and he casually said, “That’s your Beetle.”
I screamed, hugged him, and had absolutely no idea what to do with all that happiness!
Only later did I discover that my entire family had been involved in the surprise. What touched me especially was finding out that my grandfather had once owned a blue Beetle, many years ago. I guess the love for these cars runs in our blood.
That was also when I learned about her life before me. Uncle Ilija had brought her over from Sarajevo, and he had been the only person to drive her until then. When he saw just how much I wanted her, he knew I was the right person to carry on taking care of her and enjoying all the magic that comes with driving a car like this.
And that’s how the two of us became inseparable.
Of course, owning such an old car wasn’t always easy. Sometimes there were repairs to be made, even while wearing high heels on a night out!
My Beetle quickly became the main attraction in our street. Everyone knew when I was passing by, or when the two of us were heading out for a spin, thanks to her loud rumbling before the engine warmed up. And whenever I cruised through Split in my retro style, the two of us would put smiles on people’s faces.
That pure joy of driving was simply priceless.
After a few years, I decided to get a job so I could finally give my Beetle the restoration she deserved. I thought through every little detail, from the colors to all the changes I wanted to make.
My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, became part of the adventure too. For my birthday, he pulled off an incredible surprise: he traveled all the way to Macedonia, more than 1,200 kilometers each way, just to get seats for my Beetle!
The restoration took two years, and to me, they felt like the longest two years of my life.
But when I finally sat behind the wheel again, the feeling was impossible to describe. I had waited so long for that moment. She looked brand new, as if she’d been given a whole new life, yet she was still my Beetle, and absolutely perfect.
Then came another very special day.
That same Beetle became part of our wedding, shining proudly as a true member of our family.
These days, with all of life’s responsibilities, the two of us have a little less time for each other. But our love for driving, adventures, and the sound of that engine hasn’t faded one bit.
We’re ready for many more kilometers, together with the best bunch of Beetle lovers around!
