Yesterday marked the 4 month anniversary being car-free. We have borrowed cars, rented cars, and ridden in cars, but we have not owned a car for 4 months. In the first few weeks of this journey, there were times when I would be struck with the realization that for the first time in 17 years (I bought my first car as a junior in college) I did not own or have daily access to a car. And then I would think, "Why don't I miss it?"
I'm not sure why I don't miss it. Truly, it was more convenient to own a car, and there are still times when I say, "I'll drop this or that off at your house," before realizing that they live 10 miles out of town and there is no way I'm going to bike out there just to drop off an item. And being in a car is definitely warmer than riding your bike in the rain. But other than that, the list of things I don't miss is astounding: filling the car up with gas, repairs on a old car, oil changes, traffic, insurance costs, and parking lots (bikes always get the best parking spots) just to name a few. It is really strange to realign ones thinking so drastically in such a short amount of time. If you had told me that we would be car-free and biking everywhere a year ago, or even six months ago, I would have laughed in your face mainly because I didn't like to bike and was pretty scared to do it on the road.
And yet here I am biking everywhere and really enjoying it. Some times The Artist will just stare at me and shake his head. He is not sure I'm the same woman he married 12 years ago, but I think that he likes me better now.
Hope you will have a happy and car free new year! We are again having a very hmmm... wintery winter and sleds seem more practical. But I do have colleagues who always bike to work; sunshine, rain, snow or hail. You can buy winter tires here, not only to your car but also to your bike. In one and a half foot of snow I personally prefer the sled.
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