Back In The Saddle Again

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Before, DriveTribe stood a collection of some of the most passionate and enthused hobbyists on the internet. Sure, there were tons of heated debates, many of which were a hoot to spectate, but it ultimately continued to fan our flames as car enthusiasts even hotter. DriveTribe was our haven, and we were apostles preaching the Gospel of The Gearhead to like-minded souls around the world. It’s safe to say that I never thought a college side gig would be that fun.

Since coming home from deployment (Any DT refugees remember that story?), I had declined to take up my old job as a parts salesperson at my local Toyota dealer in order to fully pursue a career I had been chasing after so fervently since high school. Somehow, someway, I was going to be an automotive journalist.

In February of 2022, I scored my first big break when I signed on as a contributor for Brookline Media and their band of websites. I now curate buyers guides and product reviews for The Drive, Car Bibles, and their military-themed sister site, Task & Purpose. It was a hell of a first (real) gig, and I was surrounded by talented, professional colleagues making a great living from the comfort of home. After a rough prior year, it felt like I was actually winning. It still does. But I want more.

While I’m free to step outside my usual consumer advice wheelhouse and pitch to any site, it’s a strictly-ran and highly-competitive arena to get published in. I would like some practice before I get too far ahead of myself. I wanted a place to continuously and freely exercise my creative muscles, maybe even publish a car review or two or resurrect old DT tribes, and think I may have found it.

Shoutout to “Harsha B” and “Throttle.Girl” whose Instagram activity has brought this community to my attention. Hopefully, this will be a site of great discussion and riveting stories, and I’m especially excited that I recognize so many of your usernames after just a minute of scrolling. Maybe this place can be our New Asgard, this tidy, utopian-esque, pop-up-free interpretation of what our old home used to be. 

Hello, PRNDL. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I’ll see you on the dashboard.