When this all started, the idea of selling the car, going everywhere by bike mostly, bus at times...car free as it were....a very good friend suggested I look at it as an
adventure, not an inconvenience.
I have thought about that so, so many times since then! It keeps coming up for me. It's usually when I have to go somewhere on bike that I haven't gone yet. My mind goes to "inconvenience". It usually takes some time, sometimes a few minutes, sometimes a day or so...but I am able to get around to "adventure" again....and then it is always fun, exhilarating, and a great reminder of what this whole car-free experience is about for me.
A couple examples recently were over this past weekend, leading up to yesterday, Monday....I was going to be in Mission Hills dogsitting for the weekend. It's only a few miles from where I live, but as the name indicates...there are a lot of hills there! And...just tacking on a few more miles on the bike seemed daunting, oh, wait, yeah...that's right, an INCONVENIENCE! Hahahah.
I had to go to a certain store and pick up something on Saturday...I can't tell you how I went around and around about that in my head...it was a different route, where are the bike racks there, I'm pretty tired....those were just three of the thoughts. So...after all that, I finally got moving, and have this really cool experience. I rode thru a few busy streets I thought would be intimidating, but weren't....then the bike racks were right in full view...had a short but pleasant conversation with another guy on a bike at the bike racks.
Yesterday I had to leave the house where I was dog sitting...then go to work, then come home, with a detour since they are doing some kind of construction on my beloved Texas hill....(see previous post!!!). I went thru the same thing as I had over the weekend, not wanting to, I'm tired, etc....
What a day it was! The extra 20 or so minutes to get to work was tiring, yes....but it felt so good to accomplish it! And riding thru a nice part of town at 6:30 am....people getting their day started, a couple of firemen walking across the street with coffee right in front of where I was waiting at a light, other people exercising, going to work, etc....was exactly what I needed to feel adventurish again. Same exact thing with going home. I didn't want to do a new route for the whole "inconvenience" of it....Now, I am so glad I know that route an have that option.
(this was NOT the fireman walking across the street with the coffee....)
The whole point of all this is for me....how I view this car-free experiment/experience is exactly how it is going to be. It is going to be an adventure, fun, challenging, tiring, fulfilling....or it will be an inconvenience, and I'll be grouchy, and feel lousy.
I'm opting for the adventure!
And...that pic up top....from yesterday's ride in the morning...right over I-15, close to work...what a sunrise! I never see that stuff from a car...;o)
