How I fell in love with an “Outlander”
It was a cold and rainy day in January when I stepped into the train carriage. I was on my way to Brussels where the 94th edition of the “Autosalon” was held. This yearly European Motor Show is my “pick me up” to cope with the cold winter days. One of my colleagues at BARE International was able to provide me with a free ticket and here I was sitting on the train all by myself. In case you are wondering… I indeed am one of those rare women who are actually into cars. Besides, if you are familiar with the term window shopping than imagine going to those motor shows as the ultimate version of the concept. Not only can you visually admire hundreds of cars under 1 roof, you can also sit in them, smell the ‘new-car-smell’ and feel the soft leather seats.
My half an hour train ride to Brussels went smoothly and so was my bus ride to the final destination. I must say that it was strange to be going to a car show by public transportation. I was following the advice given by the media to avoid parking issues on the location. How ironic is that? I soon found myself queuing at the entrance feeling the anticipation of hours to spend looking at those shiny new cars. 5 More minutes as I’m checking in my coat and by now I’m already imagining long road trips enjoying the comfort of a new car and the variation of beautiful sceneries passing by like a perfectly directed movie.
Time to go in and I cannot wait to start checking out the first cars. I try to hold in my excitement but it still shows as I am smiling from ear to ear like a little girl in a candy shop. I noticed that the entrance I took was not the main entrance and suddenly I found myself surrounded by Asian cars. I remembered thinking if this was a good thing or not. I’m currently driving my third Hyundai and I am still a big fan. On the other hand aren’t we all curious about new things? As I was walking past the Nissan, Kia and Honda stands I was not really feeling their new models.
Until suddenly, there it was… this beautiful white Mitsubishi Outlander. It was love at first sight! This car was speaking to me with its perfect size, its elegant but sporty lines, its ecological mindset and even the name speaks to my imagination! It was saying: “Yes, I want to be adventurous with you but let us still be sophisticated.” And “Yes, I love to be wild with you but I am also there for your family.” I spent at least 20 minutes buzzing around the car, sitting in the front and back seats, inspecting the trunk and opening all the doors. I was sold!
If you know me personally, you will know that once I see something I like, I have no interest in anything else. As happy as I was I also know that all the cars I will see after this one will never come close to evoke the same sensation as this “Outlander”. After spending 3 more hours and passing by the Mitsubishi stand to say goodbye, I knew that the biggest task was still ahead of me. I had to convince my partner to buy this beautiful creation. How is that working out for me? Well, it is March now and we are still driving my Hyundai Tucson. It will still be my trusted companion for some more years to come and it is better for my trusted car not to know about my secret new love… just yet.
Author: Wara 
Wara joined BARE International almost 7 years ago. Born in Thailand and moved to Belgium as a child, she knows how it feels to be “stuck” between cultures. Thanks to her optimistic mindset, she always tries to see a positive outcomes in everything. Her goal in life is to be happy, to live by example in order to inspire people around her… especially her son.
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