My Grandpa's Suburban
Nickole Mendez
We have been everywhere in that car. On so many different road trips and vacations. Our go-to travel vehicle. My grandpa has had it for as long as I could remember. It reminds me of the hours and hours of driving. We’ve been cramped up in that SUV so many times, more times than I could count. All eight seats occupied. My grandpa’s 2004 white Suburban. The thing that always brought our family together on almost every family trip. Tied to almost every family memory, thanks to my grandpa. Whenever I think of my him, I think of all the memories me and my family have had in that car.
We travel to Texas a lot, usually to my Tio’s house. Every time I would sit in the very back seat. I would lay across the brown leather seats with my fat pillow and fuzzy blanket. I would try to sleep most of the way; the stiff seats and the seat belt stabbing into my side was quite uncomfortable. Regardless, I slept. It made the time go quickest. Sometimes I would wake up feeling like I have been sleeping for hours and we should be to my Tio’s house soon. When I would look at my phone, I would find that we have only been driving for an hour. It would bother me every time. It would fill me with much annoyance; but I would continue to fall back asleep. I eventually slept the whole way. If I didn’t I would look out the window admiring the empty fields of dirt. When I would wake from my sleep, I would be so glad to get out of the SUV and finally go inside. I would jump out the SUV stretching my arms up groaning. I would then go inside and flop on my Tio’s couch as soon the hugs were passed around. Being cooped up in the SUV for eight hours is such a pesky drive.
Usually the next day, we would all pile into my grandpa’s SUV again. We would all go eat together. My family especially loved this one Mexican restaurant. Everyone got a plate of taquitos and maybe some horchata. After we would all enjoy them together at a big table talking After we would often go shopping. My grandpa especially loved going to Ikea. In that unique wood smelling store, he bought every single piece of furniture that is in my room. He piled dressers, desks, bedframes all in the back of that Suburban. Sometimes it was so packed he had to rearrange the back seats completely. He drove to and from Home Depot countless times for different projects in our house and almost every time it was in that white SUV.
So many different memories and events are tied to that 2004 white Suburban. So much with me and my family. Countless and countless miles driven. Getting pulled over (once or twice), road trips, vacations, soccer tournaments and so many other happy memories. The thing that connected my grandpa and I so many different times. The day that SUV is gone is the day that my grandpa is gone. He loves that SUV and will make it last for many more years. Many memories are connected to it and many more are to come.
We travel to Texas a lot, usually to my Tio’s house. Every time I would sit in the very back seat. I would lay across the brown leather seats with my fat pillow and fuzzy blanket. I would try to sleep most of the way; the stiff seats and the seat belt stabbing into my side was quite uncomfortable. Regardless, I slept. It made the time go quickest. Sometimes I would wake up feeling like I have been sleeping for hours and we should be to my Tio’s house soon. When I would look at my phone, I would find that we have only been driving for an hour. It would bother me every time. It would fill me with much annoyance; but I would continue to fall back asleep. I eventually slept the whole way. If I didn’t I would look out the window admiring the empty fields of dirt. When I would wake from my sleep, I would be so glad to get out of the SUV and finally go inside. I would jump out the SUV stretching my arms up groaning. I would then go inside and flop on my Tio’s couch as soon the hugs were passed around. Being cooped up in the SUV for eight hours is such a pesky drive.
Usually the next day, we would all pile into my grandpa’s SUV again. We would all go eat together. My family especially loved this one Mexican restaurant. Everyone got a plate of taquitos and maybe some horchata. After we would all enjoy them together at a big table talking After we would often go shopping. My grandpa especially loved going to Ikea. In that unique wood smelling store, he bought every single piece of furniture that is in my room. He piled dressers, desks, bedframes all in the back of that Suburban. Sometimes it was so packed he had to rearrange the back seats completely. He drove to and from Home Depot countless times for different projects in our house and almost every time it was in that white SUV.
So many different memories and events are tied to that 2004 white Suburban. So much with me and my family. Countless and countless miles driven. Getting pulled over (once or twice), road trips, vacations, soccer tournaments and so many other happy memories. The thing that connected my grandpa and I so many different times. The day that SUV is gone is the day that my grandpa is gone. He loves that SUV and will make it last for many more years. Many memories are connected to it and many more are to come.
My name is Nickole Mendez, and I am 15 years old. I was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. I enjoy playing sports, and I am involved in Colt athletics. I currently just finished my first year at NMMI and plan to graduate with my class in 2023.