Part III: Volvo + The Art of Slow Living this Holiday Season

I have never been a sprinter or a good long distance runner in any aspect of my life. As I’m growing older, I’m learning that life more often mirrors a marathon. It’s all about finding a steady rythym and pace and then knowing how to navigate through the patches of rough road, off road and any other unknown and unexpected obstacle.

So naturally when I look for a car, I want one that suits my lifestyle not one that defines it. Volvo’s new XC90 does just that. I don’t shop for cars according to horsepower and I don’t come from a car background. But I don’t need to and neither do you to appreciate Volvo’s new XC90. 

It’s the kind of car that can quietly and seamlessly makes an integration into your everyday life. There’s no break-in time like high heels or a pair of stiff jeans. All the features to make a driving experience more comfortable and safer are easily navigated by the: Sensus Navigation and Connect that operates by touch screen or by voice commands; or automated by the 360 Surround View Camera, Pilot Assist and Blis. (For more details on each feature, click here).

Given that I’m not the most patient person, it’s always a nice surprise to come across design built with intuitive guidance in mind. The XC90 makes driving easy with its various drive modes. It’s the co-pilot to my everyday needs, so I can sit back just a bit further and more relaxed as I work my way through the day. In most cases it’s usually carpooling kids or running errands.

My favorite mode is Comfort. This setting makes it so the car feels more comfortable, by making the steering light, the shock absorption soft and the car’s body movement more smooth. It’s the mode to be in when you are carting your toddler from one adventure to the next. Like the day when he wanted to visit 3 different parks in three different parts of the city.

I won’t, and did not complain, because who has ever said, “I wished I took my kids to a few less parks?”. No one ever–and that is why, just like that it, I pushed a few holiday deadlines aside and made it a park day . Four hours in, a few tears later from falling, he went down the slide for the zillionth time and we met each other at the bottom with the same amount of energy and enthusiasm as the first. There is nothing like his joy to slow me down and help me find my way back to the rhythm and pacing of slow living.