Dude, Where's My Car?

In a country where privacy is a concept most people simply can't conceive of, the first step to our independence was the purchase of a car that would supply us with the means to travel around and most importantly help us escape the suffocating atmosphere of my tiny hometown. Mark and I were lucky enough to find a car in the first couple of days, although the official transfer of the vehicle to our name was nothing short of a bureaucratic hassle that involved lawyers, notaries, town hall clerks, insurance agents and endless DMV queues.
Well, at least all the cops in the area knew who we were, so we could drive our new black Golf GTI before we even got the proper papers for it. Indeed, the whole town congratulated us on our new acquisition before the purchase was even completed. That's how small my town is!
The initial plan was to get an automatic since I don't know how to drive a manual, but eventually we realized that it was not that easy finding an automatic car in Bulgaria. I actually learned on a "stick" many years ago, but I always hated it and got quite traumatized after failing the exam twice. In the States, I drove an automatic for six years and, let me tell you, going back to my old friends, the clutch and gears, didn't go so smoothly. Anyway, Mark's the sole driver for now, but I try to stay positive and think good thoughts....that one day we'll get a nice and easy automatic car.