S&YE200 - Moltres Trek

[00:00:09] This is Katherine and you can find me on Instagram at Moltres Trek. You are listening to episode 200 of the Subie & You podcast. Hello everybody. Yes, we made it to episode 200. So I want to say thank you all so much for continuing to follow the podcast. Thank you for listening. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for liking.

[00:00:31] And I am so glad that I've been able to have so many people from the community on the podcast and that I've had a chance to meet a lot of people throughout this journey of putting together this little podcast for everybody. So thank you all so much for helping us get to episode 200. So in case you don't know, Katherine Moltres Trek is my daughter.

[00:00:55] So I when she got her cross trek and she started getting into the community a little bit more. I decided that I wanted to have her as my episode 200. So that was decided a long time ago. So this has been anticipated for a really long time. So thank you Katherine for willing to be a guest on the podcast and for being episode my episode 200 guest.

[00:01:22] So we will get into the conversation with Katherine here in a little bit. But first, I have a little announcement. Hello, everybody. I am very pleased to welcome Subie Mods as the newest sponsor of the Subie & You podcast. On this episode, I want to talk about a great Subie Mods rewards program called the Diamond Club Membership built on the Subie Mods industry leading RPM plus rewards program.

[00:01:49] The Diamond Club Membership gives you the ability to purchase a subscription that has exclusive value added perks. Diamond Club is open to any member of the Subie Mods family and rewards all members with a sign up bonus as well as free shipping to the lower 48 states and additional rewards points based on your order total. To join, simply click on Diamond Club Membership at the top of the Subie Mods website, add to your cart and check out.

[00:02:16] You can sign up as a Diamond Club member for the low price of only $9.99 and for roughly $10 a month, you will receive a reward of 2,500 points each month you are charged for your membership. That 2,500 points is a $25 value that you can redeem towards purchases at subiemods.com.

[00:02:37] Additional rewards include 1,500 points for every order of $100 to $499, 3,000 points for every order of $500 to $999, and 5,000 points for every order of $1,000 and up. This is in addition to the rewards you already receive as an RPM Plus Rewards member.

[00:02:59] When signing up for the Diamond Club Membership, it is recommended that you already have an account with Subie Mods and that you are signed in before purchasing the Diamond Club Membership to ensure there are no issues. Your Subie Mods account page will allow you to build wish lists, set your cart for personalized marketing emails, view promotions, and of course, earn great rewards. So sign up today and start receiving great rewards for your purchases at Subie Mods.

[00:03:27] Diamond Club Membership requires an automatic subscription. Terms and conditions apply. See full details at subiemods.com slash product slash diamond club dash subscription. Thank you so much, Subie Mods, for becoming the newest sponsor of the Subie & You podcast. I thought that since this is episode 200, which is kind of a big deal for the podcast, that it would be a great time to announce a new sponsor, which is, of course, Subie Mods. So welcome, Subie Mods, to the Subie & You podcast family.

[00:03:55] So yeah, so I recorded with Catherine in person, and it was a great conversation. We had a lot of laughs, and it was just fun to hear her talk about her Crosstrek, talk about her Subaru journey, even though she's only had her Crosstrek for a year. It was a year yesterday that she had her Crosstrek. So congratulations on having Moltres Trek for a year. You are, well, you've been part of this great community, but you are just, just getting started.

[00:04:24] So I hope that things go really, really well, and we get a chance to have some more off-road and just adventures enjoying our Subarus, of course. If you are a fan of rally, I'm sure you were keeping up with the Olympus Rally event and posts and stories and everything that was going on over the weekend, from Subaru Motorsports USA, Travis Pastrana, Brandon Semenuk, Rihanna Gelsimino, ARA Rally.

[00:04:49] There was just, there was a lot of posts and a lot of activity going on over the weekend with the Olympus Rally. So it was really cool to see all of that going on and see what they were doing. And see Travis Pastrana and Rihanna Gelsimino back in it and racing in a new class of Subaru. Everything that I saw from Travis Pastrana looks like he was having so much fun out there in the new class of the Subaru.

[00:05:17] And of course, still doing really, really well. So welcome back, Rihanna Gelsimino and Travis Pastrana. I know y'all are having a really, really good time. And now a word from one of our other sponsors. The Subian U podcast is brought to you by Eccentric Designs. For those of you who don't know, Eccentric Designs is a small, community-driven business that offers custom-fit vinyl overlays for most Subaru models. This includes various designs for the rear reflectors, taillights, and side taillights.

[00:05:47] I also offer fun decal designs like the popular fender stripes and stickers. To find designs for your Subi, head on over to eccentricdesigns.com. There's always more projects in the works, so be sure to follow at eccentric.designs on Instagram. As always, thank you so much, Eccentric Designs, for sponsoring the Subi & U podcast. Be sure to go check out her website, check out her Instagram page, and find your decals for your Subaru to help personalize your ride.

[00:06:16] As I mentioned just a bit ago, we had all of the action over the weekend with Olympus Rally. So it's no better time than to go check out Subaru gear, go to collections, go to motorsports, and check out all of the Subaru Motorsports USA branded merchandise that they have. And when you fill up your cart with all of the great merchandise, you can use the code SUBIEANDU25 for 20% off of your purchase.

[00:06:42] If the total is over $50 after the 20% discount, you will automatically get free shipping. So please take advantage of free shipping by filling up your cart and getting all of your items in one place. All of your Subaru Motorsports USA items all in one place. Thank you so much, Subaru Gear, for sponsoring the Subi & U podcast and bringing this great offer to the listeners.

[00:07:08] It was great to record with Catherine in person and be able to help share her Subaru journey so far, even though she's only had her Crosstrek for a year. But she's been, again, a part of my life and the Subaru community for a while now, just through me and through the podcast and for me owning a Subaru. So it was exciting to get her on and listen to her story.

[00:07:33] So we will go ahead and get into that now and hear the conversation. So here we go. Hey, welcome, Catherine. Hello. Catherine is my daughter, if anybody doesn't know. Yeah, I'm his biological offspring.

[00:08:03] Yes. And so we're here with episode 200, which is really cool. And I was wanting to have her as my 200th episode, I think back from when she first got her car, which was a year ago yesterday. So congrats on having your car for a year. Thank you. Welcome. So before we get into anything else, I'll ask you the most important question. Okay. And that is whether you prefer waffles or pancakes.

[00:08:31] I prefer waffles because I like that the syrup can pour perfectly into all of the little squares on top of the waffle. And I like slightly crispy waffles. Get out of here. Are you a pancake person? Yes. Oh, no. Did I answer that wrong? No. No. Sorry.

[00:08:59] I really like waffles. I see how it is. Okay. What's really good is like if you put butter and maple syrup. I feel like that's never mind. That's what everybody puts in waffles. It's good. They're good. They're good. I do like waffles, but I like waffles. I like waffles. You know why I like pancakes? Why? More because of the, you know, at Spiral Diner, how they make the pancakes and they have that nice crispy edge to them. Okay.

[00:09:28] Yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah. No, you're right. Okay. Because whenever I go to Cracker Barrel and I have their pancakes, they're like perfectly like not burnt, but like brown and crispy on the outside. Mm-hmm. Exactly. And that's probably one. You see where I'm coming from? Yeah. Yeah. That's probably one of the best flavors you could probably experience. Okay. Yeah. I can see why. Okay. Good. I like the outside of a pancake and the inside of a waffle. Okay.

[00:09:58] That's fair enough. By the way, if you hear any strange noises, it's because we're sitting in lawn chairs inside my apartment because I don't really have any other chairs. Sitting in front of a fake fireplace. A fake Yule log on the TV. Because it's a little chilly outside. Yeah. And we just needed something to kind of distract us. So, all right. So, we got past the waffles and the pancakes. I'm sorry I disappointed you with that one. I disappointed you're my daughter.

[00:10:28] Thanks. You will. Okay. What got you interested in Subaru? Well, obviously, I was a little biased towards Subaru because my father has been into Subaru for a little while. But I really liked the capabilities of Subaru. Do you mean just like the cars or just Subaru in general? Yeah, Subaru in general. Well, okay.

[00:10:57] Well, actually, whenever we moved here, we adopted. And this is like the first time that I was, you know. And I knew that you had already had a Subaru and that you were already doing your podcast and stuff. But this is something that really made me, I guess, be more interested in Subaru and more appreciative of them. But when we moved here like almost three years ago, I guess.

[00:11:27] Yeah, it's been a while. I can't believe it's been that long. That's crazy. But whenever I graduated from college and me and my husband moved down here and we already had two cats. And we were like, we definitely need a third cat because if you're a cat person, there's always room for one more cat. So we went to CAP, the Citizens for Animal Protection here in Houston.

[00:11:57] And we were like, hey, please give us your oldest and crustiest cat that you have there. Because the older ones don't get adopted out as much. And they had a lot of kittens there. And we already had to go through kittens with our other two cats. And we were kind of not into that because we were both working now. And so we wouldn't be able to handle that.

[00:12:22] But anyway, he was free because Subaru covered the adoption fee for any special needs or senior animal, I think. And he was both. So we didn't. He was free, basically, which is nice. And so they cover the adoption fee. And then I think that includes some of the health fees for them as well, which is really cool.

[00:12:48] And yeah, which I think is awesome because I really like animals and I really like cats. And I was like, oh, that's so cool. I was like, why is he free? Is there something really wrong with it? But yeah, it turns out Subaru apparently covered the adoption fee for a lot of the animals there, which I think is really awesome and really great because a lot of animals need to be rescued also. Yeah.

[00:13:15] And I've always thought it was odd because every time I drive by cab, I always see Subaru out there. And this was before I bought my Subaru. And I didn't know why. And now I know. So now owning a Subaru and your story. Yeah. And we love our little cat, even though he's really kind of special mentally. And what did you name him? He's got a cool name. Okay. So all of our cats are named after trees.

[00:13:42] So we have Ash and Hazel are our two girl kitties that we had before. And I told Ian, my husband, that if we ever got a boy cat, we should name him Spruce Willis instead of Bruce Willis because of Spruce Wood. So his name is Spruce Willis. Yeah. That's a good name.

[00:14:03] And I remember the first time we took him to the vet, the woman at the front desk was like, oh, my goodness, I've been waiting to see your cat all day because I love that you named him Spruce Willis. So, yeah. That's cute. Yeah. Very cute. So now we know what you got. I mean, I know I had a big part to play in your interest in Subaru, obviously, because all of us went out to Colorado for a family vacation in June of 2021.

[00:14:31] And we met Juan and Chris, and they have Outbacks. Had. Had. Chris still has his. Juan. Formerly known as Java Wagon. Yes. But, no, we got to meet them, and they were just super, super great. They took us on some really awesome trails. They let y'all drive their cars.

[00:14:51] And, you know, I had my first off-road experience in Pearl, and y'all had, like, no, that's not really true that we all had our first off-road experience because we had gone to Arizona. Yeah. Yeah, and that was fun. And the Land Cruiser, that was fun. Yeah, but this was my first time in my car, and then y'all got to drive them. And it was cool because Luke got to drive when we went out to Arizona, and you were driving Land Cruiser. Luke was too young. Yeah. So it was fun.

[00:15:17] But, yeah, so you're just kind of, like, in with the Subaru crowd already. Yeah, that was cool. Yeah. So why did you choose the Crosstrek, though? So I, we had a sedan. We had a Jetta. And I definitely wanted, like, a car that was a little bit bigger than just a normal sedan.

[00:15:39] But I didn't want a huge car and something that was within a reasonable budget because I'm a teacher, so we don't make a lot. And that was kind of the one that was a little bit like, oh, I like the size of this one, and it's sporty looking, and I wanted an all-wheel drive vehicle. And it's not, I didn't think it was too big, too small. It was kind of perfect.

[00:16:06] I had a Goldilocks moment with it because I didn't really want to get another sedan. And then I really like the Outbacks, and don't hate me for saying this, but, and I don't have a problem with them. And I think the Wilderness Outbacks are, like, the coolest looking Subaru, period. But some of the Outbacks, they're just a little long, and they look kind of like a hearse. And so I was like, I like, I'm sorry.

[00:16:33] I like the way that the Crosstrek looks just a little bit better. And I wanted something a little, I mean, you know, it's not, obviously, it's not like a sporty car per se, but it looks a little bit sportier. Especially the third gen looks really good. Yeah, I really like the way the third gen looks. And so, and I really like, I don't know why, but I really love the rear taillights, the way those look on the car. And I was just like, yeah. I know, and that's. I like that a lot.

[00:17:00] Because whenever I first saw the third gen, I was kind of disappointed with the rear taillights, because I really like the ones on the first gen, and then they changed it. And then I really love the ones on the second gen. But now you having a third gen, it's like, I've really grown to love the third gen. And I wanted, and I do like hatchbacks. So, I mean, our other car had a trunk, which, you know, was nice. You keep saying had, but you do still have the Jetta. I still have it. My husband drives it.

[00:17:29] I got the new car. I'm making him drive the Jetta. But yeah, I like having the hatchback on it. And we have large instruments that we have to haul around sometimes. So it's nice being able to put the seats down. And it's just easier to, I like, I wanted a road trip car pretty much. And that's, you know, a good sized car for things like that. And being able to, you know, carry all your stuff with you. And I've gone camping with it several times.

[00:17:59] So I kind of wanted a car that had a little bit more capability than our other ones. So. Yeah. And you've, speaking of road trips, you've gone a few places. And so at the time of, we're recording about a week before your car turns a year old. Yeah. And this will, when this comes out, it'll be a day after your car turns a year old. It's April 13th. But you have quite a bit of, quite a few miles on there already.

[00:18:27] You're going to, you're going to, your car is going to be like Pearl. Yeah. And you're going to have a ton of miles quickly. But how many do you have now? I have like, I have 21,000 miles on my car. Yeah. Yeah. That's okay. That's, that's why we buy them. Drive them. I specifically bought it because I knew that we were going to be going out of the state several times every year. And we always drive whenever we go out of state.

[00:18:53] So, you know, I wanted a good road trip car that would last me a while and be comfortable on long car rides. And yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cause you've, well, we can talk about where you go later out of state, but so you ended up getting the sun blaze Pearl, which is like one of the most awesome looking colors. And it's very unique, but that's not really what you were looking for initially. And so what were you looking for initially?

[00:19:23] So I actually really, what is the blue color that's on the second gen? Yeah. I can't remember the name of it. It's the darker blue. Well, it's the lighter blue. Yeah. I like the lighter blue. But it's not, it's not the cool gray khaki, right? It's like a little bit different. No, I think it was the cool gray khaki maybe. I don't know. It's like a dusty blue color that I really liked.

[00:19:47] And I was actually looking like at a used one because the new, the third gen does not have that color. They have. That's right. Okay. Initially, I really wanted that blue color. Every time I saw that blue Crosstrek out and about, I was like, oh my gosh, I love that color car and I want it now. But, you know, I would, the only way that I would have been able to get that color is if I bought a used one. Yeah. But wasn't there a blue in the new third gen that you like?

[00:20:16] So there's a darker blue and then like, I think it's offshore blue is what it's called maybe. Okay. And then there was a gray too that you really liked. Yeah. And they didn't have any more of the offshore blue. And I remember talking to the guy at the dealership and he's like, yeah, all the college students are buying that one up. It's like the color favorite for them or something. And so I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to go with the, because I was looking at the colors online because I bought it at, you know, the beginning of the year and I hadn't

[00:20:46] seen a lot of the third gen colors out on the road yet. So I went in person to look at the colors, but looking online, I really liked the way the gray one looked. And I was actually going to go test drive the gray one. And we walked outside and I saw the sun blaze pearl orange. By the way, orange is probably at the bottom of my favorite colors list. But the sun blaze pearl isn't really orange.

[00:21:15] It's not like the orange of the first gen and the second gen. No, because I'm not a big fan of the other orange. No offense to anybody who has one, but that's not my thing. I think it looks really cool, but I realized, because that was the very first color I ever saw in a cross-trick. But I realized that like, I think after a while I wouldn't like it if I owned it. Yeah. But I do like seeing them. I just, I don't think I could have it. Right. I think it's just a little, you know, bright for me.

[00:21:42] But I saw that orange car parked next to the gray one. And I thought like the cladding up against the color looked a lot better. And there was more contrast and it made it look, I was just like, oh no, am I going to buy an orange car? And I think I was initially thinking about getting the gray one. And when we went inside, I wasn't going to get the orange one. But then I changed my mind. Like at the last minute was like, I think I want the orange car.

[00:22:11] Well, too. Also, whenever you were looking at different cars and you were like, they don't have the blue one that I really like in the new one. And I said, well, when we get there, they might have another color that you don't expect that you're going to like. And that's what happened. Because honestly, orange would have probably been my last pick. But seeing it in person was a lot different than seeing it online. And I was like, oh, and it's the different color orange. Yeah. And I love the I love the pearl.

[00:22:41] Yeah, too. It looks really cool. And I remember calling Ian and being like, how would you feel if I came home in an orange car? And he's like, I mean, it's your car. And I think he was kind of freaked out a little bit. But I got home and he's like, oh, yeah, it's not what I expected. Whenever I heard I'm going to have an orange car. So, yeah. And what year and trim level is it?

[00:23:08] It's a 2024 premium. OK. And I think there was not a ton of difference between the premium and the next level. But I don't think that they had. I think that was pretty much what they had at the dealership at that point. Yeah. Except for like the top, top one. Yeah. They had the one with the 2.5. Which was a little bit expensive. Yeah. It was a little, quite a bit. More pricey. Yeah. But the one you ended up with is really, really nice. Yeah. No, I like it a lot.

[00:23:36] It's definitely a step up from our other car. It's nice. Brand new. Mm-hmm. So, I know the account name is Multiracetrek. That's also the name of your Crosstrek as well. Yeah. It's Multiracetre. What? That wasn't the first name you had. No. What was the first name? I don't remember. Okay. So, I definitely knew that I wanted to be like Pokemon themed. And I was trying to think of really cool fire type Pokemons to name my car after.

[00:24:05] If you're a Pokemon nerd, you should understand this. And so, originally it was Entei Trek. And Entei is another fire type Pokemon. Oh, wait. No, it wasn't Entei. It was something else. Blaziken. Yes. Because of the Sun Blaze Pearl. I think you named it like Blaze, just like Blaze Trek or something like that. Something like that. I don't remember. It had Blaze in the name. I was going between those different names.

[00:24:33] I think my account was Entei. Okay. At one point. But Blaziken was definitely in the running with names. And I was like, I don't know if I want, you know, the name was a little wordy or I don't know. So, I decided to go with Moltres because Moltres is really cool. And he's like a giant flying phoenix thing. And he's a really cool Pokemon. And also, I'm on Team Valor.

[00:25:03] So, he's the – if you're a Pokemon person, you'll understand what I mean by that. Yeah, because I don't – No. Unfortunately not. It looks good. I like it. And you have a Moltres Trek sticker on it. Right? What is that that's on the back? Oh, I have an Absol, actually. Absol Trek. Yeah. I have an Absol on it. That was the first sticker I put on my car.

[00:25:30] And I remember that because Absol Trek – I sent that to him and messaged him about it. I was like, look, I have an Absol on my car. Because there's not – you know, there's a handful of Subarus that are out there on Instagram that are named after Pokemon or are like into Pokemon. And so, I talk to a couple of them sometimes. Yeah. That's fun. It's fun to connect in other ways. Yeah. Besides just the car. Yes.

[00:25:59] So, I know you have a few mods on your car or maybe just one. Yeah. I know you have decals, but what do you have on your car so far? Yes, I do have my decals. I do have a skid plate on my car on the bottom. I don't remember. Yeah, the engine skid plate. Yes. So, hopefully, I can finish the rest of that out. But also, whenever we were with – is it Sage Trek? Yeah. Oh, my goodness.

[00:26:26] When we were with him, I think he has a lifted – he lifted his. And I was like, man, that looks so cool. Oh, yeah. I'm sure that's expensive. Yeah. But also, like, I was like, oh, I don't know. That just looks really cool. And I think I would definitely want to do that at some point if I was able to. Yeah, Crosstrek. I mean, you have – it looks – it's better if you have, like, bigger tires. Yeah. So, I mean, I would definitely want to get different tires and wheels first. Yeah.

[00:26:54] But a lifted Crosstrek looks so good. I know. It just looks so cool. I, like, remember seeing that. And I was like, why does this look so cool? And, I mean, I really want to lift mine, but I also don't have a reason to. We don't – not enough places for us to go off-road except for Fast Drop. And we don't really need it there. Yeah. But it does look good. I feel like the – and we'll talk about this a little bit more later.

[00:27:21] But I feel like I – the places that I go, because I drive out of state a little bit more than you guys do probably. And so, you know, the places that we go probably have really good off-roading areas and stuff. And we'll probably, hopefully, be traveling more in the future. So – Speaking of going out of state, what's the furthest distance you've driven? Oh, we drove. Oh, wait a minute. I know. Wait a minute. I was there. You were there. We went to Florida. Yeah.

[00:27:51] From here. I was thinking Tennessee, and you can talk about that in a minute. But, yeah, we drove out to Disney World over Thanksgiving break. That was fun. I'm wearing my Disney World shirt right now. Yeah. That was cool. It was cool. I liked driving through the different states, too, to get over there. It was kind of cool. But, yeah, that was a long drive. Yeah, I don't know how far it was. I don't know. It was like 1,000 miles or something. Almost. I think so, yeah. Yeah.

[00:28:19] Let's see how far is Disney World from here. Disney World. Okay. How many miles? I'm trying to find. It's not. There we go. 986 miles. Yeah. So, almost 2,000. Yeah. Yeah. That's. I drove further than that when I went to Madison, Wisconsin for Subaru Flatfest. Because when I looked at the mileage one way, going pretty straight, it was 1,100 miles. Oh, wow. Yeah. Oof. You know how far Tennessee is?

[00:28:49] So, we went to Jackson, Tennessee. And. But, also, we didn't do a straight shot there. We actually went on a little bit longer trip. We did a detour. So, we went up to Searcy. And then we drove over to Jackson. And Searcy is like exactly 500 miles. Okay. And then I think it's another 150 or so to get to Jackson. Because it takes like three hours. Yeah. So, it's 682 miles to Jackson, Tennessee from here.

[00:29:17] So, why are you going to Tennessee? That's where my husband's family lives. Oh. Okay. And we have. I'm sure you didn't know that. I had no idea. Wow. Yeah. So, we like to go visit them during the summer. And I think we spent last Christmas with them. Or maybe we're spending this Christmas with them. I don't remember. We always go up there. We'll spend one week there and one week here for like Christmases and stuff. Yeah.

[00:29:45] But, yeah, we go up there probably at least twice a year. So, yeah. Is there somewhere that you would like to go in your cross trek and go explore? That you know of? I mean, there's a lot of places that people that travel. Honestly, I mean, I really liked going to Colorado. I mean, even just like driving on the road, like through the mountains, like along the river. It's crazy. It's so easy.

[00:30:15] It's so beautiful. Like I just want to drive through the scenery. You know what I mean? Yeah. But, I mean, there are like definitely really awesome off-road spaces there. So. I want to go back to Arizona too. I was about to say that. Sedona was really cool. Yeah. But I'd probably do that when I'm a little bit closer to paying off my car. Yeah. And just send it through there. Well, I, so I was thinking earlier.

[00:30:42] It's funny because I went to Gilman Subaru earlier today to pick up my sway bar in links because one of them is, it's got a lot of stuff coming out like grease and it looks like it's busted. Which might be the reason that my car is making the noise. I'm hoping that's it. But, but anyway, it was funny because there's like all these sales people standing outside. I'm walking up like, oh, can we help you? I'm like, nope, I'm here to get parts.

[00:31:07] And so I picked up my sway bar in links and then I picked up the, I also have the transmission, the axle seals for the front axles. And as I was walking out to, not my car, but my borrowed Jetta. Because I can't drive mine. But as I was walking out to leave, I'm holding this bag with, you know, these parts in my hand.

[00:31:36] And I'm thinking like, I had these parts because I was having fun in my car. Yeah. Like, I'm pretty sure that my car wouldn't be in the situation it's in now if I wasn't having fun. Yeah. And I feel like if you're, if you're not having to make repairs, you're not having enough fun. I mean, I know with yours right now, you don't want to, you want to kind of go easy on it. Just a little bit. When she gets a little bit higher in mileage and getting more paid off, I'll probably go a little bit wilder with it. Yeah.

[00:32:06] But, but it was fun. I mean, we have been out to Bastrop and you got stuck-ish in the mud. Okay. Here's the thing. My tires were just like, they looked like they were like fuzzy because they were covered in mud and all the little sticks and pine needles and things were like stuck to them. Because I think they're just like the whatever stock tires that they put on them. They're just like. And so. I think they're like false season tires. Everything was getting stuck to them. So there's, it was like not gripping onto anything else in the mud.

[00:32:36] And Ian had to go out and I put it in X mode and he had to like push my car out in the mud. I was like, after that though, I was like, I wish he wouldn't have pushed because I wanted to see like if your car would have gotten out in X mode alone. I think it probably would have been fine. Yeah. It was funny because you were pushing the gas and your all four wheels were just turning. You weren't going anywhere. It smelled like burning maple out there. But you made it out. That was fun. Yeah, that was fun.

[00:33:02] And also whenever there was that giant puddle in the middle and you were like, I'm going to try to go around it. And then my whole car just slipped into the whole puddle. Yeah. And the whole like front side of my car like dipped into it. That was funny. Yeah. You were like, I'm going to try to go around it. I was trying to, because like I went up on like the left embankment and then it was just so slippery that it just slipped down. Yeah, it was funny.

[00:33:28] I mean, it's cool because you get into those situations and you just go right through it. Yeah. I was like, dang, it just ate through that. Right. It's a super all wheel drive. Or like when I'm on the road and everybody's driving like an idiot because there's puddles because it's rainy or whatever. I'm just like, car just, if I, sometimes I'll drive through a puddle in my Jetta, like not even that quickly. And I'm like, I feel like I'm going to hydroplane this thing. Yeah. But I don't know.

[00:33:57] My car just rips through it, which is nice. Yeah. And as much as it rains here and as hard as it rains, sometimes I just feel a lot safer being in a Subaru with the all wheel drive. And I'm glad now that you have one and Luke has one. Both my kids are safe on the road. I was in a time whenever, so I was up near my mom's house and they had those tornadoes go through there. And that was when you got stuck out there with the tornado too. But there was a ton of hail.

[00:34:24] This was like a week or two after I bought my car, I feel like. Or maybe a month. I don't remember. It was pretty close to whenever I bought it. Yeah. There was a lot of hail and I was in the middle of teaching a piano lesson at someone's house. And I was like, oh, please tell me it's not hailing on my brand new car. But anyway, it ended up being fine. The hail did not damage my car. But there were tornadoes going through that area. And one actually went through that neighborhood.

[00:34:50] And there was a ton of like debris and the streets were totally flooded. Like most cars probably you should not drive out in it. But I was like, I think I'm going to go over to my mom's really quick because she's like in the next neighborhood over. And I'm glad I had my car because the water was so high and there were like branches in the road. And I was just like driving over them like it was nothing.

[00:35:17] And my car was just like swaying side to side as I was going over them. And I'm like, man, I'm glad I'm not in the Jetta because I wanted to like get to somebody's house that I knew because everybody's trying to call me. And there was no service and the tornado just ripped through. That was weird. And it was, yeah, it was really spooky. So I'm glad that my car could make it over there in the water and the – because it floods really bad here.

[00:35:42] And you – but you also have somebody that you give private lessons to that has like a dirt road down to their house, right? Yeah, sometimes I just send my car through it. Because one time it was really rainy and they're like, oh, you don't have to come out here if you don't want to because the road – I've got a Subaru. I can make it. They're like the road up to our house is like really bad right now because it had been flooding and it's all dirt, all mud. And I was like, good. I'm going to run through it like 10 times.

[00:36:12] And so I was like – I just was like zoomed straight through it and like let the mud fly everywhere. It was funny. Yeah. Oh, you probably shouldn't come up here. I'll be okay. I'll be all right. Yeah. Yeah. So the other thing that I know that – you haven't had your car for very long, only a year, but you've had some other cool experiences. I mean, we've gone to Colorado and you got to drive some other cars and go up in the mountains and see what Subarus can do in that kind of environment.

[00:36:42] And then you and I have actually been driving through some mud here. Yeah. And did a little drifting. But the other thing too is we've also been – we went to Subie Fest last year. Yeah, that was fun. Which was a lot of fun. I know Luke and I had gone to Subie Fest the year before and I was there because I was part of the event, which is really cool. I'm still super thankful for that. But we got – what was really cool about this past year is Travis Pastrana was there.

[00:37:11] Rian and Jel Samino was there. And I'd never met either one of them. And then UG was there, which UG's helped me out a lot. So we got to meet all of them and then you got to meet Bucky and you got to meet Scott Speed. Yeah, that was really cool. And so, yeah. It was cool because he was walking by and I was like, hey, Scott. Yeah. I kind of like called him over and he came over and talked to us for a while. Yeah, that was cool. Yeah. And it's like, I mean, these people in the motorsports world are like such a big deal.

[00:37:39] Like they're very well known. They're very skilled and they're very like really, really good at what they do. But then you talk to them and they're just like super chill. Yeah. Yeah. What was your favorite thing about going to CB Fest? I thought it was really cool meeting them. I also liked going out and like looking at all of the cars that were out in the, I don't know, whatever that lot was where they were just showing their cars. Yeah. It's like the show. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:38:08] And I saw a lot of other cars that were Pokemon themed. And so, I kind of got a little bit stoked about that. So, that was really cool getting to see how other people like modded out their cars. And just like seeing the creativity behind other people and what they did with their cars. It was really cool. I saw one car in particular that had, was like decked out in like Gengar type stuff. And it was really, really cool.

[00:38:38] So, if you know who Gengar is, then you'll know it was pretty cool. But he's one of my favorite Pokemon. And he's definitely Ian's favorite Pokemon. So, that was really cool getting to see that. And just not even just like mods for off-roading and things like that. But people being really creative with their cars and like really turning it into a personality and things like that. Like Tiggeroo. Yeah. It's so cool. I think it's so cute that he does that. And it's his, I really like his car a lot. It's really cool.

[00:39:08] Yeah. I mean, it's fun because like you get this car and it becomes more than just a car. Yeah. Because like I think already your relationship with your Cross Trek is probably way different than your relationship with your Jetta. Yeah. Well, also, it's cool because this is the first car that I'm like purchasing for myself. And also, you know, I just wanted to make it, you know, more like me, put more of myself

[00:39:38] into it. And if I'm going to have it for a while, I want, you know, I want it to look cool. And I want, you know, I want it to look like more of my personality. You know, people, you can do what you want with your physical appearance and things like that. But, you know, if you're in your car, you're driving everywhere and people are going to be looking at your car no matter where you're driving. And so to just be able to kind of put your personality out there whenever you're inside

[00:40:06] of your car and people can't see you, I think that's cool too. And I like looking at other people's cars too when I'm driving around. So I'm like, well, maybe some people will look at my car and be like, oh, look, they have little Pokemon decals on their car. That's so cool. I love Pokemon because I always see other cars like that. And I'm like, oh, my goodness, that's so cool. Yeah. And you have the Pokemon balls on the rear reflectors. Yes, those are so cool. Those are like. Thank you, eccentric design. For real. They're really cool.

[00:40:35] And every time I like look at the back of my car, I'm like, what? That's so cool. Yeah. I often wonder that too with mine because in my rear reflectors, I have the shape of Texas. And so I wonder if people are behind me going like, pretty cool. That's pretty cool. Right. Because I remember you were behind me one time and you texted me and you're like, oh, your Texas reflectors look really cool. And so now I wonder if other people think it looks cool too. Yep.

[00:41:01] So since you've had your cross trek and you talked about connecting with other people, especially like a couple of people that are in Pokemon, what is your experience been like connecting with other people in Subaru community? It's been really good. Like, especially because I made an Instagram account, which is a good idea because like almost immediately people just started reaching out to me that I did not even know. And they're like, hey, welcome to the community.

[00:41:30] Like if you ever need anything or one advice or literally anything, they're like, feel free to talk to me. And I talked to several people like on a daily basis on like from my car account too. Just like, you know, it's like we're friends or something. I mean, we are probably friends. But, you know, even though I haven't met them, it's just cool being able to connect about different things like that.

[00:41:55] And I know that, you know, a lot of, a lot of like women car, like women drivers reached out to me too. And they're like, hey, welcome to the girl Subie squad or whatever. Yeah. And they're like, they're really chill and they were very welcoming. And, you know, they're like, feel free to talk to us about whatever you, you know, if you need help with anything or if you, you know, need any help with car stuff.

[00:42:25] Cause, you know, it was really nice. It's really cool to connect with all the people and talk about a common interest. But then when you get a chance to meet them in person, that's really, really cool. Cause like, you know, you, you didn't have your cross check before, but you got a chance to meet Chris and Juan and see what they are like. Yeah. And those interactions and how welcoming they were and how, how much they were willing to help us out and everything.

[00:42:54] And it was just, and then you have met some other people, like when we went to Subie Fest, you know, but just, and it's, it's cool knowing so many people in so many different places, because then like if you go out of town and you let people know you're coming, they're like, gotta meet up. Yeah. And so like, we're going out to Oregon this summer. That's going to be a lot of fun. Yes. Luke will meet, well, Luke will see people again that he's met before, but you'll get

[00:43:22] to meet like a lot of people for the first time, which will be really cool. Yeah. That would be fun. I'm excited. So you talked about, you know, connecting with people and talking about Pokemon. Yeah. But so are there any other shared interests you've come across with people? This is really dumb. There's, there's one person in particular that I, uh, we probably message every single day, but the only thing that we send to each other is just cat memes. That's it.

[00:43:50] Like, do you actually talk though? Or do you just say, yeah, no, we'll talk sometimes, but literally most of what, and I can go through and show you like our conversation, but literally most of what we send to each other is just cat memes. That's it. That's funny. Just cat memes. I mean, I know this is kind of a hard question, but I know you just, I guess, think about some of the people that you have connected with and some of the cars that you've seen out there based on people that you've connected with. Yeah.

[00:44:20] And, but if you could drive somebody else's Subaru for a day, whose would it be? Man, I don't know. Honestly, it's not necessarily like who's a Subaru, but I would like to, but like which, you know, right. Because I, I'm really into like sporty cars.

[00:44:44] And so I would love to just be able to drive something really fast and just zoom away. You know what I mean? Ti. Yes. Yes. Yes. I just want to be able to like. Pew. Yeah. I know. Me too. I don't know. Well. Don't tell anybody that I said this, but sometimes when I see a long stretch of road and I don't think there's going to be any cops.

[00:45:10] Well, when I was in the jetta, cause it accelerates a little bit more than my cross track. I'm like, I'm a, I'm just going to zoom a little bit. Yeah. Hey, there's nothing wrong with that. I mean, when 110 miles per hour in my car. Well, when Larissa took me out in Clifford. Yeah. We got up to, I didn't see cause I was like tunnel vision, but freaking out cause it was so fast.

[00:45:39] But she said we got up to like 140 or 150 and right as she took off, there was a cop that drove by and she was like, Oh my gosh, that was a cop. Yeah. And whenever she, so she's pulling the engine out of Clifford and she's going to put another engine in. When she gets the engine back in Clifford, we gotta go take a ride. I know. I just like driving fast and I'm a fast driver in general. Don't tell it. Don't tell any cops this please. Okay.

[00:46:08] No, I'm a really fast driver in general. Um, so yeah, I just, and I think, and my husband is really, really wanting to get a WRX whenever we are, you know, financially there for it because whenever, cause I mean the Jetta will probably last us several more years, but he's like, I just want to, you know. Yes. Tell him to get one so I can drive it to you. Right.

[00:46:37] And he wants a manual. So. Of course. So the, you know, WRX is the way to go. Also, they just look so cool. Yeah. They're, they're really cool looking. So even though you've only owned your crosscheck for a year, what would you say that your, I guess, favorite or best or most memorable experience is since owning your crosscheck? Hmm.

[00:47:02] Honestly, I really just like going on road trips in it. It's a really good road trip car. I mean, I don't do anything super crazy and kooky with it, but being able to like be in a car that's reliable and, you know, I mean, and when I go camping and stuff, cause when I went camping with Hannah, I was like, I'm good thing I have this car. Cause the roads into the campsite were kind of sketchy. They weren't really roads.

[00:47:30] So, so it's just nice being able to have a capable vehicle like that. And I mean, even whenever we were in Tennessee and Arkansas and places like that, cause we, we travel out there several times every year. There's a lot of, you know, places out there where it's like, oh, I'm glad that I drive this car and not the sedan anymore. Yeah.

[00:47:56] Well, I mean, when I bought my cross track, I wasn't planning on doing any mods. Cause I didn't think that I could. And I just, I like, I like knowing that I could go off the pavement if I wanted to or needed to. That was like the extent of it. Then I've done all this. Now I'm having to replace parts. Honestly, I kind of liked going through the mud with you that those couple of times too, because it's like, I don't know how to explain it.

[00:48:23] And I don't know, because when you look at the videos, it doesn't look like how it feels inside of the car. Oh yeah, I know. It feels like my car is like going along a spaghetti path or something. I don't know. It's like, it's so like weaving. Yeah. Cause it's moving around so much. Yeah. I don't know. It just feels different when you're going through like thick mud like that. But it's fun because like, obviously you're not going fast enough to where you're going

[00:48:52] to like, you know, cause any sort of damage, like run into something. But like going through the mud is just a bizarre feeling. If at first I was like, what the heck is going on? Especially when you're behind the wheel. I'm like, uh, am I going to make it out of this? Yeah. I mean, it looks like you should get stuck and you don't. It just goes right through it. Even with your stock tires, you know, it still just goes right through it. Mine just like keeps on going through it. But, and it's, it was, it's pretty fun.

[00:49:21] And I like looped through it several times cause I was like, yeah, it's fun. And that's all that we have out here. You know? Yeah. It's kind of flat. Yeah. Unfortunately. I hope at some point you get a chance to drive through the snow. Not, maybe not necessarily with your car, but you know, if we go somewhere and you get a chance to drive somebody else's just to see what it feels like. I drove in the snow in Searcy in the Jetta and that was a no go, but so hopefully in a little bit better car. Maybe we just have to make a trip up to Arkansas sometime. I mean, yeah.

[00:49:50] When it snowed there that, that year that you got engaged, there was a lot of snow there. Oh, it was, we got like collectively like a foot of snow, I think. And if you look at my engagement pictures, like my whole foot is sunken into the, like it was up a little bit on my leg a little bit, but yeah. I think you kind of already answered this question. If you were able to get another Subaru right now in addition to multi-race track, which would it be? WRX for sure.

[00:50:18] Now if you had, so Ian is definitely probably going to get one in the future, but like I feel like after I have my car, I mean, I really like the Crosstrek. I feel like it's the perfect size and you know, I like the off-road capabilities of it. I feel like I would just probably get another Crosstrek, get or get the, probably the sport,

[00:50:48] Crosstrek sport. Or I really like the way the Forester sport looks, but not the, I'm sorry, not the new, not the 24 probably. Yeah. Or the 25. Not sorry, not the 25, but. It's growing on me a little bit, but it's just, it looks too much like a Ford Explorer. I'm sorry, Subaru. And it just, it doesn't really look like Forest or anything. I know, cause every time I see one, I think it's a Ford Explorer.

[00:51:19] And then I get closer to it and I'm like, oh shoot, it says Forester on the back of that. And then I'm like, dang, that, ah, I just, the rear taillights are really small on it too compared to, and I liked the little crab claw looking ones that they had on the, the previous one. And so I'm just like, oh, it's only mildly disappointed. And I mean, it's still cool, but I think, you know, probably the earlier generation

[00:51:47] Forester sport would be my second pick. Cause I think it's really cool. And I like being higher up in the car. If you could describe your cross track in one word, what would it be? Oh. Yeah. I didn't see that question. Wait. I don't know. It's just a comfort, it's a, it's cool. It's cool. That's a good answer. It's snazzy. Okay. I mean, my car is snazzy. There you go.

[00:52:17] There's one word. There you go. I mean, when I bought my car, I know a lot of people buy Subarus because they buy them for the safety. Right. And they buy them. I mean, some people buy them, you know, because they like the way they look. Subarus are typically have looked so much different than other cars. They look kind of funky, but, and like, I didn't even used to like Subarus. But when I bought my car, when I bought my cross track, I bought it because I thought

[00:52:43] it looked really cool because it looked so different than anything else I'd ever seen. Yeah. And I bought it because I wanted the ability to go off road. I didn't even know about the safety aspect. I had no clue. Yeah. That's not, I bought it because it looked cool because I wanted a manual and because, well, I wanted a hatchback too because I was tired of having a trunk. Yeah. And then, I mean, that was like, I didn't buy it for the safety aspect. Yeah. Kind of funny. So, and that, that's funny that you say that because whenever we were looking at cars, like

[00:53:13] before, like getting a Subaru is kind of, I was like, oh wait, we might be able to do that. We were looking, I wanted to find a car that had good, I was like, I just want something with good mileage and that's really, really safe because I'm probably going to have this car for several years, you know? And, and that was like the main thing that I wanted to focus on with cars. And then you're like, well, would you maybe consider getting a Subaru?

[00:53:42] And I'm like, ah, I guess I could look into that. I didn't know that they were, you know, as safe as they are. But speaking of, I have a friend, one of my best friends has a Subaru Crosstrek. She has an orange one. She has a first gen, I think. No, it's a second gen. It's a second gen. She has a second gen. She has the orange one. But she had texted me a little bit before I got mine and a deer ran out in front of her

[00:54:09] car and just like, and I've seen people's cars after you hit a deer at high speeds. And her car, I think she lost part of her grill and then the Subaru emblem and that was about it. And she said she had eggs in her car and the carton opened, but the eggs did not break.

[00:54:31] And she's like, she was like, I didn't think that running into a deer at like 75 miles per hour could be so nonchalant like that. Yeah. I mean, you know, obviously her car was a little bit, had a little bit of an ouchie on it. But I mean, she was totally fine after that.

[00:54:57] And I've seen stories about people like getting into terrible car accidents and Subarus and they like come out with like no injuries. Yeah. And I've had people say on the podcast, like, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have survived if I was in another car. Yeah. But speaking of safety, you've had a couple of instances at least with your, I know people kind of give eyesight some crap, you know, here and there. Yeah. But, you know, your experience. Yeah.

[00:55:25] Literally like a couple of weeks after I bought my car, there's, if you are living in this Houston area, you know, everybody drives like an idiot. And like most of the people on the road are like collectively sharing one brain cell when they're driving, like for real. Anyways, I can't tell you how many times people have pulled out right in front of me, like on the, I was on the feeder going to my apartment.

[00:55:54] And actually this is how I got into a car accident in my Jetta. Somebody like whipped out in front of me from the other lane. They tried to turn into a parking lot, like to the right of me. I was in the middle lane. They were in the left lane and there's a right lane and there's a parking lot next to the right lane. They tried to go from the left lane straight to the parking lot and they turned right in

[00:56:18] front of me and I had to slam on my brakes and I totally like T-boned their car because they just turned straight over in front of me out of nowhere. I was like, what? Anyways, so dumb. Pretty much the same thing happened to me a couple weeks after I got my Crosstrek and I was like, as soon as it happened, I was like, my life was flashing in front of my eyes. I was like, not this again. It was literally in the same exact spot too.

[00:56:48] And like almost the same exact thing was happening. An idiot was like pulling right out in front of me and I had zero like time to, even if I like, I tried to break in the Jetta, but my car just like would not stop in time. Yeah. My car stopped itself like right before I would have hit that car. And I was like, oh my gosh, I would have totally ran straight into them if I didn't have the

[00:57:13] eyesight on my car or the automatic braking, which like it kind of wigs me out a little bit because sometimes they'll beep at me if I'm like getting close to somebody. But yeah, I was like freaking out. And then I was like freaking out after it happened because I was like, oh my gosh, my car just like saved me. And that happened probably two or three times that my car has done that and kept me from running into somebody.

[00:57:42] So yeah, that's good. Yeah. I'm very thankful for that. Yeah. Right. I do enjoy a lot of the safety features on the car. Definitely. Yeah. It's very important too. How would you say that your Crosstrek best matches your personality? Well, I like to put a lot of little doodads in my car. And I have a little squishmallow that sits in my dash.

[00:58:07] And then I have a little octopus in my car also that has a little, it's one of those reversible octopus guys a lot of people put in their car. I have a little snail hanging down. I just have a lot of little fun guys in my car. I like making any space that I'm in more comfortable for myself.

[00:58:34] And so I just like having stuff in my car that, you know, it's like, you know, when you're at work, you put little knickknacks on your desk. I like doing that with my car. I think I have a little Pikachu in my car too. And just being able, oh, and I have a, you know, just stuff like steering wheel covers, things like that. I try to make the inside kind of match my personality in that way. Yeah. You also have tattoos too.

[00:59:03] So that's kind of like, you like putting stuff in your car and you like putting stuff on you. Yeah, that's true. I do. I do like tattoos. I think it's cool. I kind of went on a little tattoo spree before I had car payments. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true. And I don't know. I just, you know, I appreciate other people's artwork and their skill. And like all of my tattoos, well, at least on my left arm are like little cartoon characters that I'm into.

[00:59:33] If you're into the Ghibli films, I'm sure you would appreciate them. I have a little Totoro on my arm and I have Princess Mononoke and Calcifer and no face. And I'm about to get another one in June also. Yeah, that'll be nice. Yeah, it's fun. I have a cat on my other arm too. And I play French horn and I have a French horn tattoo too. Oh yeah, right. Yeah. I like to express myself outwardly a lot.

[01:00:00] Well, having your car for only a year, how would you say that owning your Subaru has changed your life? Oh, that's a good question. That is a deep question. Well, I mean, getting the car kind of, you know, came with the whole community like going with it. But also, I feel like, I mean, especially since you've had your car, that kind of unlocked

[01:00:28] a lot of like different opportunities and adventures for us that I feel like we wouldn't have like normally had. Yeah. Especially like going to the different, you know, Subaru events and stuff. Because like otherwise we wouldn't have a reason to go out there. Yeah. Right? And I mean, we're going to the Subaru event in Oregon. And so like, why would I have gone to Oregon, you know, otherwise? And so.

[01:00:57] Well, and we were already trying to plan a trip to Oregon. But it's because of people that I know in the community that I was talking to out there. And like with our trip to Colorado. We wanted to go there anyway. Yeah. But we knew people out there. And we probably wouldn't have been able to go like off-roading and stuff as much or know where to go. Yeah, we wouldn't know where to go. That's the key. Yeah. If we didn't meet up with them or if like you were not connected with them through like Subaru and stuff. Yeah.

[01:01:27] I mean, if you go out to where someone lives and you, you know, you're not going to know where all the cool spots are. Knowing people in other places. Because like when we went to Colorado, we knew people there. Going out to Oregon, we know people there. And so like even when we went to Flagstaff, we knew somebody there that was taking, you know, it wasn't Subaru related, but he knew he had an off-roading. They had a legacy. That's true. They did have a legacy. Goldie. Yeah. Wait, or was it a truck?

[01:01:56] No, Goldie was the truck. He had a Toyota truck and then he had a Land Cruiser. And then a legacy. Yeah. But yeah, I just, you know, he knew all the cool spots to go to. So knowing people somewhere is like very helpful. I think, yeah, just being able to connect with people and going on those experiences has just probably, you know, changed the game a little bit for me. And it's nice having like, you know, another interest in community just in general.

[01:02:27] Yeah. Definitely. Really nice. And I mean, there's people that I talk to on a daily or weekly basis that I probably, you know, would have never met or talked to if it weren't for having a Subaru. Yeah. You would have, how would you have ever met those people or connected with them? I wouldn't have. Yeah. The only reason is because I made, you know, I have a Subaru. Yeah. And that's why they followed me. So. And it's fun. Yeah. It is fun. Do you think you will always own a Subaru?

[01:02:56] I, you know, probably yes. I think so. Unless some miracle happens and I get a Corvette. I know you. Yeah. I was going to say, you get your dream car. Oh my goodness. I want the white Corvette. Oh, it's so nice. I just want a white Corvette with the red interior. That's my dream car. Yeah. That's nice. The newer ones look cool. Ian says the back of them look like a grasshopper, like a face of a grasshopper. I don't know why. I think they're awesome.

[01:03:23] But I think, you know, at least for a reasonable, you know, car. I mean. Instead of Corvette, because that's a little, it's a little bit of a reach. But I think I'll definitely be buying Subarus from now on. The other thing too is like, once you get into being able to, or once you experience going

[01:03:48] off road and, and like being, enjoying the outdoors, you know, you get a car like that, you can, you can't go anywhere. There's some places that are just a little, a little, have too much terrain, but you can go a lot more places than you could with regular cars. Yeah. And I mean, I've gone camping a couple of times since I've had it. And I just really like being outside and being in the outdoors.

[01:04:16] And that's kind of what a big part of the community is about, especially with like cross treks and outbacks and stuff like that. Yeah. Because they're, you know, they spend a lot of time going out into the natures and doing stuff like that. And I'm a big nature person, which is funny. That's another way it matches your personality. Which is funny because I live in a concrete jungle out here. Yeah. I would love to live somewhere else. Oh, for sure.

[01:04:44] There will be one day where I will escape the grasp of the outer Houston city limits. Yeah. All right. So this next segment is to get to know the person behind the account. But who is Catherine? Then describe yourself. It's me. You kind of have some already. Oh, I know it's you. Well, I'm just a chill gal, I guess. Yes, you are.

[01:05:11] I like, I'm a very, why do I say this? I like to explore outdoors. Like when, I mean, growing up, I always liked, you know, going outside and collecting stuff and just being in the outdoors. And so that's kind of probably a big part of who I am. I would say I'm a creative person. You are. Definitely.

[01:05:40] I'm a little odd. Yes. And that's awesome. But, you know, I'm his daughter. So that was kind of a given. Yeah. Yeah. I'm a musician. So that's a big part of, you know, what I identify with is being a musician in multiple aspects of my life. So, yeah. Yeah. And I like when you were little, you used to feel like, you were never, like, you were

[01:06:07] never screamed like a little girl when it came to, like, bugs because, like, you love bugs. I love bugs. Yeah. And what's funny is yesterday at work, I was, like, on high alert trying to pick up all the June bugs that got inside the school building. And I took them outside and all the kids were like, ah! Yeah. I don't know. I just, I don't know.

[01:06:33] I don't get, I really, I have a deep connection with nature and critters and things like that. And I think, you know, everything, I'm a big, I'm a very firm believer that everything was put on the planet by the big man for a purpose and that we need to be respectful and let them do their job in our, you know, ecosystem. Yeah. Be respectful of their lives.

[01:07:01] Speaking of being an outdoors person, one of the coolest things that I, like, for me, I'm happy that you got to experience is when you went out to Colorado and climbed Mount Oubre. Oh, that was so fun. Yeah. That was really cool. So whenever I was in, was it my senior year of high school? I think so. I think it was in between senior year of high school and then going off to college.

[01:07:25] But my youth group was supposed to go to Honduras on a mission trip, but I don't know. Things got bad down there for some reason. Things got really bad, like unsafe for us to go, I think. And so they're like, well, we've already collected all this money from you guys. Yeah. Yeah.

[01:07:47] And I think, I don't remember exactly what the organization that, like, does these events are called. But we went on, like, a trek. It was called Colorado Trek something. But it's basically, like, you're with no phone. You don't have watches. You don't have any sort of technology. And that was weird, not being able to know what time of day it was. We just went to bed when it got dark and woke up when the sun came up.

[01:08:17] And it was really cool. And there was, oh, we went with Drew. And there was just so many, am I allowed to talk about what happened? Nope. I don't think anybody that knows him is going to. Okay. Our youth minister at the time. Who is Austin. Who, yes.

[01:08:39] Honestly, like, you know, he's a big reason on why, you know, I got more connected with our church and probably, you know, was okay with being more myself around other people. Because he was kind of a wacky dude. But, like, in a very good way. Very good way. He was very funny. This is terrible. He, there was a group of Boy Scouts.

[01:09:09] And there's no toilets out there. So we had to, you know, dig a hole and do our business. But this is, like, the funniest thing. There was, like, a group of Boy Scouts. And thankfully, I think they were in high school. They were, like, Eagle Scouts or something. And they were also going on a trek trip, I guess. He was out, you know, dropping a number two out in the woods.

[01:09:34] And because he was with that, he was out of eyesight reach from our camp. And we didn't know that there would be any other people anywhere near us. But, yeah, anyways, a bunch of Boy Scouts, high school Boy Scouts saw our youth minister drop into number two on the trip. It was so funny. It was really terrible, actually. But, yeah.

[01:10:00] At the end of the trip, didn't they say y'all ended up walking, like, 40 miles or something all the way up and down? Oh, it was something. I mean, we went up a mountain. Yeah. It was something crazy like that. And because you don't, you know, you can't go straight up and down on most parts of a mountain, especially when you get past the tree line. And we were in the Rocky Mountains, which means the top of it was – I see why it's called the Rocky Mountains when I got up there. It was so crazy.

[01:10:26] And the scary thing was you had to, like, test all the rocks before you, like, climbed up because we were kind of doing a switchback type thing. You don't want it to fall under your – or slip under your foot. There were so many rocks that – there was so much that could have gone wrong. Anyway, we got to the top. Great. Hurrah. And then, like, a random storm just came in out of nowhere. And they're like, yeah, we're going to have to get below tree line, like, now.

[01:10:55] And we're like, how? And we did not, like, switch back going down the mountain. I swear we just ran straight down all the rocks, didn't test any of them. We just went straight down the side. And it was scary. Made it, though. Yeah. I don't know how. Thankfully, going down is a lot easier than going up because we were booking it.

[01:11:22] Because the winds get really bad at the top of the mountain and it was starting to, like, lightning. And we had to get down and set up camp and, you know, get under a shelter and stuff like that. It was really pretty scary. But, you know, that was a really cool experience for me and just being able to, like, connect with nature.

[01:11:40] And a big part of my, like, spirituality is just, you know, seeing all the things that were created, you know, and how beautiful they are. To me, it's like, man, this could not have been uncoincidence. This is something that's greater than us. And I really, you know, it was nice taking the time to appreciate that on that trip. It was really cool.

[01:12:07] So, I know this, but where were you born? Right here in Houston, Texas, baby. Oh, yeah. Yep. H-Town. What is a favorite memory from your childhood? Oh, you know, I have several favorite memories, I feel like. And they were never, like, the big things. You know, like, going to Disney World was really cool as a little kid. Yeah.

[01:12:37] But there's always memories that, like, stick in my brain that, you know, like, but with, like, different people. Like, I loved going over to Baba's house when they lived in the old house, you know, and being able to visit with them and terrorizing Smokey, their cat. And I loved going to Meemaw's because I would always, they had a big open space behind their house.

[01:13:08] And I would just, like, go out there and go exploring. And they just kind of let me roam around out there, which is really nice. And I would, like, catch frogs and stuff. And I just, like, loved being out in nature back there. I thought that was really cool. Unfortunately, the space behind them is being, you know. Yeah, it's not the same. Urbanized a little bit. But they used to have, like, a big open space with, like, a retention pond.

[01:13:36] And when the retention pond would get dried up, I would always go down into it and go exploring and, like, poke around at, like, the fish heads that would stick to the bottom. It was kind of gross. But I don't know. A lot of my favorite memories growing up were just kind of, like, you know, the normal, like, everyday stuff. Like, my mom cooking for us a lot. She would cook all the time.

[01:14:02] And she would, you know, there were certain meals that are, like, you know, I have locked in in my childhood. Like, oh, I mean, I don't eat half of it anymore. Because I can't. I do not eat it anymore. But, like, that was a big thing was, like, her teaching me how to cook. She would just have me come into the kitchen and be like, I want you to watch me cook. Just watch me.

[01:14:27] And then slowly she would, you know, have me do different tasks in the kitchen and things like that. Just being able to grow up like that in a good household was nice. Also, and I still have all of them. But every time my dad would go out of town, at least not, maybe not every time, but most of the time he would always bring me back a flip-flop. Which is a little stuffed animal. And it has, like, the little beads in its butt. And they all have a little bow around their neck.

[01:14:57] And I still have every single one of them. There's 12 of them. Or maybe 13. Yeah. And my favorite ones are Lily Ladybug and Patty Pig. Yeah. And that was always a good memory. Like, whenever he would come home from business trips and he would have a flip-flop for me. Yeah. I have all of them. And I would line them all up on my bed. And I would, like, make up birthdays for them. And I would, like, celebrate their birthdays. It's a little silly.

[01:15:26] But I wouldn't even, you know, be consistent with it. I would just be like, oh, today we're going to have a birthday party for Callie the cow. Well, I had gone out to Charlotte for doing bus inspections out there. And they had this cool little, it was kind of like a, I don't know, it was like a science center for kids or something in downtown Charlotte. And then they had a gift store.

[01:15:51] And I knew that I was going to be going to Charlotte, like, a bunch of times for these bus inspections because we had a five-year contract. I was looking around the store to see if there was, like, something that I could get for you and then, you know, bring back with me. But then I was like, I saw that they had a bunch of different stuffed animals, the same type. And I was like, ooh, I can get her a different one each time I come up here. And that's what I did. Yeah. And I still have all of them.

[01:16:21] Yep. They're cute. I have them in my little stuffed animal chest still. So we know what you do for a living. But what would you do? Well, you said you were a teacher earlier. Okay, I guess you could expand on it a little bit more. I teach small gremlins. I mean, I'm just kidding. That was a joke. Cut the tapes. I'm just kidding. I am an elementary music teacher. For now.

[01:16:49] What would your dream job be? 100% I want to be able to perform in like a symphony or something on my horn. That would be my dream job. It's still possible. I would love to do that. Yeah. I mean, I'm not giving it up. And even if it's like... There's a lot of people that are much older than you that are doing it. Right. So it's something that's still very attainable. Some people don't get into those positions and they're much older.

[01:17:16] But like for me, as long as I'm, you know, able to perform in a group, like a good performance group, period. And right now I'm playing in a wind ensemble. Yeah. So you're getting to perform. Yeah. So I'm getting to perform. You know, then I'll be happy. I just want to be able to be doing something musically in the meantime. It doesn't have to be my, you know, profession, but I really like doing that.

[01:17:43] So I teach elementary music and then I also teach private lessons on my instrument for junior high and high schools around this area. So that's what I do. And what other hobbies do you have besides getting out and enjoying private? Yeah, I really like to crochet, which is kind of, you know, an old lady hobby. But I really like doing that.

[01:18:10] Unfortunately, I don't have a ton of time to like do things like that frequently. But hopefully, you know, over the summer I'll have a little bit more time. I wish I had more time to do artwork because I really like painting and things like that. I did a lot of artwork in my early youth. You did. Like I'm so old now. I'm just kidding. But and so I wish I could, you know, keep more into that. But it's just hard.

[01:18:38] I like being able to finish things. Yeah, that's important. Like I like to be able to sit down and just be able to work on something for hours. You know what I mean? And just be able to finish it, especially paintings. Or else it usually doesn't get finished. And I don't really have the time to do that. But I do have a lot of, you know, time to read. I really like reading. And I've made it a goal for myself. I want to try to read 20 books this year.

[01:19:06] Which I feel like, you know, I can do that. About like two books a month. Yeah. Except if any of y'all read Brandon Sanderson out there, it took me forever to get through the last book that I read because it was Brandon Sanderson book. And his books are huge. They're massive. And so it took me a while to read that. But I've read like five or six books this year so far, which I feel like puts me on pretty good track for getting to my goal.

[01:19:34] And so I feel like I really like reading. I like being able to put myself into, you know, a different world or, you know, read something that's a little bit encouraging. I like fantasy type novels and stuff like that. I'm kind of, I'm a nerd basically. And I like reading that kind of stuff. So I'm a big reader. I'm a big art fanatic, I guess. I like doing arts and crafts type stuff. I'm into Pokemon cards.

[01:20:05] So I like to collect cards whenever I have the funds to do that because it can get expensive. So yeah. There's something else that you do too. You and Ian do together. Oh, yeah. Duh. Oh, me and my husband go play disc golf a lot. I guess Ian's brother-in-law got us into it. It's fun. It's his sister's husband. That's his brother-in-law. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It's so fun.

[01:20:35] And I kind of suck at it a little bit, but it's still really fun. And it's just nice because then you get to, you know, go out and go to the park. And the outdoors. Right. Get into the outdoors. It's not super strenuous. It's pretty fun. What is something that makes you want to get out of bed every day? My cats. If I don't get out of bed and go to work, how am I supposed to pay for their food and their litter?

[01:21:05] That's true. I mean, like during the work week, I really, so at the end of the day is when I teach private lessons. And I really love working one-on-one with students like that, especially on my own instrument and in a content area, that's a little bit more favorable for me because it's kind of, I'm not, I'm not going to lie. It's kind of rough teaching elementary age students these days for, you know, eight, nine hours out of the day. They're not really there.

[01:21:34] They're like music classes. It's not what they want to do. Right. It's not like we're here because we want to learn music. And I mean, we do fun stuff. I do like games and, you know, students at the end of the day to teach horn.

[01:22:02] I really look forward to that at the end of the day. That's good. Always good. Also money is important. Yeah. And yeah, I kind of need that if I want to keep my car. So what is something that makes you want to stay in bed? Oh, also my cats, they just look so cute in the morning when I wake up and they're usually all like on top of me. And so it's like, I don't want to get up and disturb them. Yeah. And I don't know. It's just sometimes I just like bumming out in bed and I'm a big,

[01:22:32] nothing wrong with that. Here's another hobby of mine, which is also kind of nerdy. I play a lot of video games and I, I'm right now I'm playing one of the legend of Zelda games. And so it would be nice to just be able to sit in bed and, and some people get a lot of money for streaming video games, like on Twitch and stuff. And I'm like, how can I do that? I'm like, you know, you know,

[01:23:02] would anybody watch if I, if I just tried to do this and see if anybody would, if I could make money off of that? I don't know. I think that would be cool. I think it's kind of, you know, silly, but I mean, you know, it's fun. And I'm, I like the Zelda games cause you actually have to like, you're not just, you know, mindlessly like shooting at stuff. There's a lot of stuff. Yeah. There's a lot of like problem solving skills and that,

[01:23:32] and like puzzles and things like that. And I like the storyline behind the game. So this is another little nerdy thing that I enjoy doing. Hey, nothing wrong with that. What would be your best bit of advice to give to someone about anything? I know this is like super duper cliche and probably oversaid, but like, just be yourself.

[01:23:56] Like I grew up most of my childhood feeling, and it's not because it's not because of anybody close to me, but like going to school, I felt like I couldn't be myself around other people. And even, and I don't know why I had this little worm in the back of my head that was like, Oh, everybody secretly hates you and thinks you're weird and a loser.

[01:24:24] And I even thought that sometimes like, you know, in high school and college where I'd be like, is this person being nice to me? Cause like they feel bad for me or like, do they actually want to spend time with me? And so I was just like, whatever, you know, and especially once I started dating Ian, I was like, I'm not trying to impress anymore. And so I was like, you know, I kind of let my weirdness out a little bit. And I, my best friend at the time, Hannah, she, you know,

[01:24:53] she's really weird too. And so I could be myself around her. It was nice having other people, but I was just like, whatever. I'm just going to like be myself and dress how I want and dye my hair and get tattoos and just do what I want. And if other people have a problem with it, then they can go eat a cactus. Yeah. So, you know,

[01:25:19] I think it's really important to be yourself within reasonable means. Yeah. And I think, you know, Oh, this is another thing is I, I really truly believe it's important to find a good community for yourself, whether it be a healthy community, right. Whether, you know, yeah, healthy community, you don't want to, there's a lot of communities out there that might seem great, but anyways, but whether it be the Subaru community, I mean,

[01:25:49] for me, you know, that's, that's not a huge aspect of my life right now, just because I've only, you know, I've only had my car for a year, but it's also opened up a lot of other, you know, opportunities for me because of that. But also just like find a good group of people that you vibe with and can be yourself around. I mean, and that people who will hold you accountable and, you know,

[01:26:19] are not gonna, I feel like a lot of people are like, oh, do what you want, man, even if it's bad for you. People are kind of encouraging of the wrong things these days. And I think it's important to have people that are, that will hold you accountable and let you be yourself within reason and keep you in good people and good communities will keep you from doing stupid things instead of just letting you go off and do your own thing. Like, oh yeah, whatever,

[01:26:48] man, go. Yeah. I mean, it's good to have community. Right. Even if it's just friends that you hang out with, you don't do anything. Right. It's good to be around other people. And, you know, it's, it's even, you know, better if you have, you know, multiple communities. Like, I have a very good church community. community. I have, you know, a very good community of friends that I met in college that I keep in contact with. I have a good community of friends that I was with in high school that I still keep in contact with.

[01:27:18] Even if you're not able to physically be with them, it's just good to have other people to keep you, you know, in check and encourage you and things like that. The wind ensemble. People that you get to share a passion with. And I would have never met those people if I didn't say, Oh, you know what? I think I'm going to see if I can, you know, do something with part of my passion and join that group. And I'm glad I did. Cause there's a lot of really cool people in that group. So yeah. That's fun. Yep. Yep. Yep.

[01:27:48] Is there anything else you want to add? I don't know. Is there anything you want to add? I'm just, I'm happy that you're a part of this with me too. You, you and Luke. Yeah. And we get to share this together and, you know, we're not as, we don't get the, we don't have opportunities out here to be as immersed in the community as other people do just because there's, I think there's a lot of, I think for us here, it's not that there's not other Subaru people here,

[01:28:17] but it's just people who live in other places have more outdoors opportunities to truly enjoy the Subarus. And so, but you're also really busy. I'm also really busy. Having jobs. I mean, I know, I know other people have jobs too, but it's just, I think it's, it's where you live. And so like, even for me, even though I do the podcast and I'm kind of like the voice somewhat of, you know, a part of the community. Right.

[01:28:45] I'm still not as immersed in the community as I could be, but I think a lot of that has to do with just us not having access to what would really help us to enjoy our cars. I mean, no matter what, whether I'm just driving down the street or whatever, but being able to truly enjoy it off road, we don't have those opportunities very often. And so, I mean,

[01:29:13] I'd probably say like maybe 15% or less, maybe even 10% of the miles that I have on my car are off road miles. Yeah. It's very little. There's nothing we can do about it right now unless we just decide to move. True. Yeah. That's, no, that's not easy. That's no simple task. Yeah. Well, and we have family out here. That's true. And I think, well, and it is, you know, a little bit nice though,

[01:29:44] that whenever we do go and you do those opportunities, it's like something special for us and it's more memorable, you know, because I mean, which it would be really awesome to live in a place where you can just like explore and go off road whenever you want. But then, you know, what happens when that becomes like the norm, you know, or. I think people. I mean, yeah, I mean, but I mean, yeah, I think for us, I think it's more special. It's cool to have those memories though.

[01:30:14] In a time now where we, we're not, you know, we have to go travel to do those things. Yeah. So it's cool. Cause it, it makes those things more memorable, at least for now. Yes. I would eventually really like to move somewhere. Like I, I would really kind of like to move back to Arkansas. It's really pretty up there and it's. It's just pretty good off road. It's just barely touched by the mountains enough to where it's, you know, it's really nice. Yeah.

[01:30:44] And, but at least in the meantime, I don't want to like be super discouraged that we don't live up there, but yeah, it is. It is cool having those memories and those kinds of things being special in the meantime, you know, we have another other things going on that keep us busy. That we're not just like sitting around pouting because we don't have mountains. I don't have the mountains. Right. Although it does stink. That's great.

[01:31:10] That was crazy being in Colorado and just like at Walmart, walking out of Walmart into the middle of the mountains. It's like, Oh my gosh. Are you kidding me? Yeah, I know. Like people live inside of the mountains. It's so crazy. Just like going outside and it not being flat. Well, thank you so much, my daughter for taking the time to record episode 200. 200. Yeah.

[01:31:40] A lot of episodes. You're welcome. That is a lot of episodes. It's kind of crazy. I remember whenever you first were like, I think I'm going to start a podcast. And I was like, okay, you do that, buddy. Now you're on it. Yeah. And I don't know. I'm going to be honest. When you first started doing it, I'm like, Oh, he's going a little crazy with his car stuff. But you get it now. But I get it now. Yeah, I get it now. It's cool. It's, it's yeah.

[01:32:10] I, I think it's really cool. Yeah. It's fun. I mean, it's, it's, it's opened up opportunities for me, which has opened up opportunities for you and Luke and Ian. So, you know, some of these trips, again, we wouldn't have gone on if, or we could have gone on trips, but we wouldn't have been able to see some of the things that we've seen if it hadn't been for the podcast. Right. And just being in the community. So thank you very much. You're welcome. Very much. I will see you later.

[01:32:39] Much more sooner than I see many other people that I say I'll see you later. I know. I can't get away from my family. I'm just kidding. Yeah. So, all right. Well, hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Thanks. You're welcome. You too. All right. I'll talk to you later. Okay. I'll see you like tomorrow probably. Bye. Bye. We did it. Yay. Hello, everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the Sue B and You podcast, but not just another episode. It's episode 200,

[01:33:09] and it's an episode with my daughter who goes by Moltres Trek on Instagram. So please go give her a follow if you're not doing so already. Thank you, Catherine also for taking the time to sit down and record with me and to put yourself through being a guest on the Sue B and You podcast. I really appreciate you taking the time, and it was fun recording with you. So thank you all so much. Again, I really,

[01:33:36] really appreciate everybody helping to get this little podcast to episode 200, and there are more episodes to come, of course. We will see you next Monday on the Sue B Scoop, and it's going to be a little bit of a series of the Sue B Scoop. There's going to be three in a row that'll be a series, and I will explain it next Monday for that episode and what the series is going to be. So be sure to tune in then. Again, thank you so much.

[01:34:04] Hope you all have a great week. Much Sue B love. Raph. The Sue B and You podcast is hosted by Raphael in a closet in Houston, produced by Raphael in a room next to the closet in Houston, and edited by Raphael on a computer in the room next to the closet in Houston, with music by Luke Ruiz in another room in Houston. You can find the Sue B and You podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many more.

[01:34:31] To support the podcast, please head over to patreon.com slash Sue B and You podcast. Once you join, you will have access to the Discord channel and Discord chats with other patrons. If you'd like to get in contact with the show, you can find them on Instagram at Sue B and You podcast, online at SueBandYouPodcast.com, or by email, SueBandYouPodcast at gmail.com. That's all for this week. Tune in Mondays for new episodes.