I've needed new tires for months. When I finally got a flat tire in the middle of the night, I knew that I couldn't wait any longer to get them.

1. Denial

This is definitely the longest stage. You probably just got your car fixed a few months ago, and now there's something else wrong with it. What do you do? Turn up the radio and pretend that there is absolutely no weird noise. Is someone in your car asking about it? Your answer is something like "Oh no, my car has always done that, it's no big deal."

2. Acceptance... almost

Oh, is the weird noise getting louder? I guess you better take it into the repair shop pretty soon. You've accepted that your car has a problem, but you aren't ready to accept that you have to pay to get it fixed. You might even start telling people that your car needs to be fixed.. which is a mistake because then they scold you when you reach the next stage.

3. Emergency

Okay, emergency is a strong word. At this point, you’re stuck somewhere. You might be at home, you might be at a gas station, and you even might be on the side of the highway. Whatever the case, your car is completely broken, and you need help.

4. Acting like a grown-up

You now have to do what you’ve been dreading all along – call the repair shop. You explain what’s wrong in the best way you know how, which probably doesn’t make sense to anyone who knows technical things like what a radiator does and how a transmission runs. Anyway, you feel proud of yourself for having your car in the shop like an adult – even though you literally waited until the last possible second.

5. Paying the bill

This is the time where it’s okay to cry. You’ve been putting off getting it fixed because you don’t want to pay for it. Use your credit card, beg your parents for a loan – whatever happens, you have to pay for it even though you hate every second.

6. Back to normal

You got your car back, and it’s fixed! This is the part where you finally feel happy for yourself. You got your car fixed like a real adult – even though it took way longer than it should have. It doesn’t matter. The point is, your car is back to normal! It feels good to know that your car is running perfectly again after being broken for so long.