In September 2010, I wrote a column about the benefits of driving a car with a manual transmission. At the time, I had driven many manual cars, but had never actually owned one myself. Still, my feelings for stick shift were strong.

I saw the manual transmission as a kind of hero of the automotive option world - the original, the only option that allowed for "pure" driving - but also the underdog that never got picked. I went to Spain last summer and witnessed firsthand how popular stick shifts were. There, automatics have less popularity than manuals have in the United States. This fueled my boyhood desire to own and drive a manual at all times.

Then, a couple months ago, I decided to sell my ancient, college-budget "car" - which drove more like a go-kart - and get a new set of wheels. But this time, I wouldn't settle for whatever came my way. I knew this purchase would put me deeper into debt than ever before, so I was determined to own my first daily-driver stick shift.

Surprisingly, once the pressure was on, I started to chicken out. I started hearing the comments of many a manual-naysayer come floating back into my ears. "Manual gearboxes are impossibly annoying in even the mildest of traffic situations," I recited in my head. I was already rolling my eyes thinking of all the drivers who would almost certainly be stopping too close behind me when starting out on a hill. The words "parallel parking," which had been seemingly harmless before, now had me wetting my pants as I imagined the difficulties of adding shifting operations to an already complex process.

I had driven manuals before, and none of these things ever bothered me. Why was this becoming an issue now? I thought back to the car I learned on - dad's 1969 GMC pickup, with its clunky three-speed manual gearbox - and remembered how much fun it was to run through the gears on a dusty Wisconsin back road, with Hurst brand T-bar shifter in hand. Then, it came to me: Had I only enjoyed driving stick shift for short, spirited and even reckless drives? Were my sentiments going to change the moment I had to personally shift on a daily basis?

But I was about to return to college and needed a better car. So, I ignored the comments in my head and followed my gut to purchase a car with a manual gearbox.

It's been about a month since I've had a daily-driver stick shift, and I haven't regretted my decision for a second. I've driven around town and on the highway, at speeds well over the limit and even crawling through downtown Chicago during rush hour. I've parked in crowded parking lots, quiet suburb streets and, yes, even parallel-parked in the city. Despite what they say, manuals are fun all the time. Nothing bad about driving a manual is actually worth getting an automatic. In fact, I've found myself driving with better habits, keeping safer distances and putting less wear on the car than I used to.

All in all, I'm incredibly pleased with my stick shift. I talk about it all the time and can hardly ever wait to get back behind the wheel. I've even given a lesson or two to some motivated friends - anything to bring more stick drivers into this world. Maybe it's the lack of a permanent "car talk" section within the pages of Flyer News making me so enthusiastic, but my feelings are stronger than ever: Manuals are the way to go!