The Start

I guess I can start with a little introduction of who I am & what made me want to randomly start a blog. My name is Amanda, but I like to use my middle name, Chanel. I was born & raised in The Bronx, but recently up and moved to Providence, RI with my fiancé. Before moving I was a typical city girl, I did not have a license or a car. I always gave the excuse that I wasn’t in a rush to get a license because I lived in the city where there are multiple modes of transportation. There are trains, buses, and cabs, so I always had a way to get around. But the real reason I waited so long was that I had driving anxiety. It wasn’t until I decided to move that I knew I needed to learn to drive & buy a car, now there was a rush. I had to overcome my anxiety and finally get my license. In an effort to push myself, I had purchased lessons on Groupon almost a year prior. I waited until the very last minute to actually schedule my lessons and I was now reaching the expiration date. Finally, I decided to call the driving school and schedule my lessons. I started my lessons in the winter of 2017, which meant I had to learn to drive in the most inclement weather (which could be a good thing depending on how you look at it). Due to my crazy schedule, the weather & running back and forth to see my fiancé (but then bf) I didn’t actually get my license until May 2018.

 

Once I got my license, everything else seemed to move pretty fast. In May I got my license, got engaged, my fiancé graduated with his Master’s & we got an apartment in Providence. The next step was purchasing a car. My first car buying experience was horrible! I spent days upon days in the dealership, there was so much back and forth, I even started to get discouraged. Then, after a LONG week of debating and negotiating, I got my car. She was a blue 2015 Honda Accord. At first, I wasn’t too enthused & I felt like I was settling because I needed a car & I didn’t have the money or time to get the exact car I wanted. Once I got the keys and drove off the lot, I fell in love. Plus after everything, I went through to get her it was like she was my baby.

 

The Accident

Now, fast forward to us moving out to Providence, it was our second week in our new apartment, and my car was totaled! Rob & I were on the way home from the mall and we were rear-ended by a kid who was speeding on the highway. This was by far the scariest day of my life. It literally happened so fast. One minute we were happy, celebrating & the next I’m literally saying a prayer as my car spins out of control & crashes into a cement divider. Long story short, we made it out with no broken bones but everything else was shattered. Now enters even worse driving anxiety, depression, anxiety because of anxiety and now I have no car. After the accident, I cried for days and finally, I realized I needed another outlet. I couldn’t cry about this unfortunate experience forever. I needed to find a healthier way to cope, hence the birth of SincerelyChanel. With this site, I hope to share some of my life experiences, advice & whatever else comes to mind with whoever cares to listen. I lost one baby & birth another, & this one will not be stolen away from me.

SincerelyChanel💜