Couldn't agree with this more. My truck is much more than a project, it's therapy. I get an immense sense of satisfaction from being able to point at something tangible that I did with my own hands that I can then take out and enjoy.An important, but hard to quantify part of the equation for me is that I love having a tangible project. I work on the computer all day and my brain doesn't always register that I've done much during that time. Working with my hands and building something that I can see, drive and enjoy scratches a primal itch and has a lot of value. Overlapping my need for a tangible project with my need for a vehicle just means I get returns in multiple different areas for any effort that goes in. Classic win win.
Similarly, I spend all week in front of a computer, in zoom calls or in meetings. That isn't to say the work isn't valuable, but it can be very hard to point to my added value within that work.