Facebook recently reminded me that I have driven for 10 years on a regular basis. What do I have to show for this? Nothing! In that time frame, I have driven 5 different vehicles and I do not have four of them any of them any longer.
It made me think about when I lived in Dallas and I used the public transportation system to get around. I remember having less stress and feeling freer. For the month of May 2016, I went car free, and it was fantastic!
I no longer have to look at the traffic in the morning and decide if the way I normally go to work will be backed up or not. I don’t have to go to a gas station last-minute to fill up, remember to go in for an oil change, or worry about whether I left my lights on.
I now spend less than half of what I used to spend on transportation. It takes roughly the same amount of time to get to and from work as it did before. That time is now spent reading on my phone, or talking to people, via text, of course, I don’t want to make anyone on the metro listen to how cute and smart someone’s kid is, or how offensive someone’s behavior was.).
I have now decided I am ditching my car. I am going to continue a car-free lifestyle. I am going to enjoy the feeling I had 12 years ago all over again. I am no longer going to have to think about where I am parking. Is it safe, can I fit, can I get out of that spot? To be honest, driving was never really pleasurable for me. In fact, I hated it.
