Toyota Tacoma Build One Year Later
One year has passed since I let go of the old Tacoma and purchased the slightly used 2013 Toyota Tacoma access cab Sport as the next adventure vehicle. Man, I had big dreams to transform it into an off roading adventure beast shortly after the purchase. Well, like it often happens, life gets in the way and the build has taken a little longer than anticipated.
The winch and front bumper has been installed along with the bed shell. However, the new suspension, tires and other improvements are still on the “To Do” list. Worse yet, there is a full set of Budbuilt skid plates sitting in the garage waiting to be installed. With no heat in the garage, I’ve got to wait until it warms up before I can paint them. So they sit and wait.
Going out on a limb
Last summer I spent a lot of time, money and effort in attending art shows trying to sell my photographs. It was a trying experience and by the end of the summer I did not have the money for the truck build. At the end of the season, I had spent more than I made. I learned from the experience and I’m not giving up, just adjusting my approach. One of the important lessons learned was to be true to myself and do things as I see it and not because I think it will sell. Art and life is about exploring yourself and expressing what you find along the journey and not doing something because you think it will sell.
Learning Patience
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle
Like most writers and photographers, I have a day job and a long list of responsibilities. My little adventures, writing, photography and custom built truck, are my soul of life, my element. With that being said, I still need to be smart about things. Instead of building up a long credit card debt for the instant satisfaction of building the truck, I’m buying the pieces and parts with cash. If that means staying in on Friday night, so be it. A new set of rear lift springs and a fishing trip mean more to me than a few drinks at the bar.Watching the saving account slowly grow can be painfully bitter, but once the parts are bolted on and I hit the highway to places unknown, the fruit will be sweet.
