I ended up trading my auto in at the dealership and it didn't hurt too much (the double Cali sales tax hurt the most...).
I looked at it this way: I made a mistake, and wasn't happy with the auto. Would it be worth the extra $$$ on my loan for a manual?
In the end yes I'd say I'm much happier with the car now
. I have to say though make sure its what you want before sealing the deal! The auto is *very* good compared to other autos - performance wise its very similar to the manual except it most likely shifts faster than you & no launch. In the twisties it really was very fun but the manual is obviously more fun to me.