The Americana Tesla Was My First Experience With My Dream Car — Help Save It
Credit to Author: Johnna Crider| Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2019 01:10:01 +0000
Published on August 27th, 2019 | by Johnna Crider
August 27th, 2019 by Johnna Crider
Earlier this month, I wrote an article about the Americana Tesla, a Tesla Model X named Dory that delivers a simple message: We are one. Last week, I got a message from Christi. She was going on a road trip and would be traveling through Baton Rouge. We met up by Starbucks and she and her fiancé showed me their beautiful Tesla Model X.
Even though I have ridden in the Model S and Model 3, I hadn’t (until last week) ridden in the Model X, which is my personal favorite. And experiencing Dory just made me fall deeper in love with my favorite of the S3XY lineup.
Tesla, an American company is a physical reality of an American dream. @ElonMusk simply wants to make our world a better place. So it's no wonder that @Tesla_Americana is here spreading a powerful message of unity.
Dory came thru Baton Rouge & I got to meet her❤ 🇺🇸$tsla pic.twitter.com/QZrIvOLPn3
— ʝօɦռռǟ💎 (@JohnnaCrider1) August 26, 2019
My first impression was that this is a freakin’ huge car. I felt small. To be honest, out of all the Tesla models, the Model X is my favorite. It’s like a mythological hybrid of a kitty-dragon creature. It has majestic wings, but a kitten’s nose. I could imagine it purring as you Summon it. Seeing Dory in person was totally different from all the pretty photos I have seen on Facebook and Instagram.
Christi Mariani is a veteran who has honorably served this country, and her goal is to spread the message of love and unity — something that, during our current chaotic political situation, we really need.
There is so much going on in our nation — racial divides still exist, we have a president who says he is the “Chosen One,” and the divide between the “left” and the “right is a chasm of hatred and confusion. Throw in religious fear and contempt of “others” and this season’s toxic stew is no doubt a poison that will hurt our nation — well, already is.
I could go on, but you get the message. However, there is another message of peace and unity — something we desperately need to embrace. This isn’t about Tesla. Although, a Tesla is involved. This is about us as a whole, yet also us individually. We are all parts of one whole. I wouldn’t exist without the atoms in my body and America wouldn’t exist without its citizens — all of us.
We, The People, Are American. We Can Unite. This Is About Unity.
In the video I tweeted earlier today, Christi Mariani tells me why she created the Americana Tesla.
“My fiance and I are both military and he is currently a police officer. I created this not as a political statement, but to show people the flag — they see it — it’s American. I wanted it to unite us as a family. There’s so much negativity in the world and I wanted there to be something positive.”
Christi also has a friend who was a firefighter who died. In the design, there’s a blue and a red line. She includes them both for the message of unity.
Christi is on a mission to get as many people as possible to experience her beautiful vision, her dream, because due to unfortunate financial circumstances, it will otherwise fade into a memory.
So Americana Dory is currently taking her last drive around the USA. So if you see us please stop and take a photo and know someone is thinking of you. If this car changes 1-2 hearts then that will have been enough for us.
— Americana_tesla (@AmericanaTesla) August 26, 2019
Christi is on military disability. She can afford the monthly payments of the Model X, but due to her income, she does not qualify for financing. She was able to get help from family when she first financed Dory, but things beyond their control happened and within a few weeks, so Dory will be up for repo.
Upon the advice of friends, she set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds. She wants a Model X but will settle for another lesser valued Tesla and will have it redecorated to match the original Americana Tesla. If she gets over her goal, she’ll be donating anything extra to Operation POP, which is an organization that helps police officers get correct gear, and the Wounded Warrior Project.
She has about 5 more weeks with Dory before she has to give it up. She will be doing a road trip in that time. You can follow her journey on Instagram. She is rather new to Twitter (I encouraged her to join), and you can also follow her there.
Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.” Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter