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Date:         Sun, 12 Apr 1998 14:16:24 EDT
Reply-To:     Sean Bartnik <sbart7kb@WWW.MWC.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Sean Bartnik <sbart7kb@WWW.MWC.EDU>
Subject:      demographics
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com

Well I guess I better add my bit.

I'm 21 years old and currently am in the last semester of my senior year at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA. I will be graduating in May with a degree in Business Administration.

I was born in Falls Church, VA in 1976. I lived for 4 years in a house in the Riverside Estates neighborhood in Fairfax County, VA, near Mount Vernon. In 1980 I moved to another house in the same neighborhood. I lived there until I was 15, when my dad was transferred to Johnson City, TN. I was starting my sophomore year of high school when we moved.

I finished out high school in Johnson City, which is about a half hour west of the Virginia/Tennessee border. Then in '94 I came up here to Fredericksburg for college.

My first VW was a 1975 Beetle, converted from fuel injection to carb. Never did run right and I, being ignorant of proper VW care and driving, drove the hell out of it, with a missing engine seal. It still ran when I sold it, but...

Anyway, I sold it because my mom got a new '95 Dodge Neon and offered me the use of her previous car, a 1989 Toyota 4Runner. I took that and used it for the first year or two of college, when I again got that VW hankering. I joined the list around that time, before I bought my next VW. This is back when it was still one list, vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu. I learned a lot about Buses and then finally got one I believe in very early '96, a '78 7-seater Bus.

I only had that Bus for about 8 months, but I gave it good care and knew what to do because I was on the list. I realized, though, that what I really wanted was a Westy and set out in search of the ultimate Westy. For me, that was a Vanagon due to the cool camping equipment, but an early Vanagon so it would still be air-cooled. And that's where I am today, driving my '81 Vanagon Westy.

I recently (summer '97) also acquired a '74 Karmann Ghia convertible from relatives since they moved out of the country. It's at home in Johnson City now, and I really miss driving it up here when the weather gets nice.

Now college is just about done and graduation is near. I'm hoping to get a job in law enforcement like my father. I have applications in with three different police departments here in Virginia and it's looking good so far. When I get to be a cop, I'll put in a good word for all you Bus-driving folks :-)

Besides my VWs, other interests in my life include my wonderful girlfriend Christy, music (mostly what is now called "classic rock", Rolling Stones, Neil Young, the Beatles, Allman Brothers Band, etc. etc. and some more contemporary stuff like R.E.M., Son Volt, Wilco..). I also play guitar badly but do enjoy it -- hopefully I will have time to take some lessons and improve on what I already have. I also am into the more basic pleasures of life such as a good steak or rack of ribs and a good beer. Mix a VW show in with some music, some good food and beer, and my girlfriend, and I'm lovin' life... :-)

I kinda like reading these mini-biographies, it's interesting to know the stories behind the list subscribers. It would be nice, as it was suggested by someone earlier, to have a photo archive of all the listmembers... -- Sean Bartnik Fredericksburg, Virginia 1981 Volkswagen Vanagon L Westfalia 1974 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia convertible http://www.type2.com/bartnik/myvan.htm http://www.mwc.edu/~sbart7kb/vwbooks.htm


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