Limited Car Days

Most of the time I really do not like to drive anywhere. I don't mind be driven so much, probably because I had been driven around til I was a senior in HS. And even Whitney, the old white Dodge Dynasty, lasted only til sophomore year at UofM. I was a master at bumming rides when need be or hoofing it the other times.

Living in Ann Arbor there is minimal need for a car, although Jon was forced to do most of the long-distance relationship visits! I managed to get home by way of the stinky Greyhound system or occassional carpool :) Junior year abroad in Finland showed me how much you can do with public transportation and exploring on bikes. I wish I had a digital picture of my Finnish bike, it sure was a beauty.  Probably best resembling this bike. I found it under the stairwell of my apartment complex and my Irish buddy Mike fixed it up a bit. I remember patching my first (of several) tires on the bike. But that took me everywhere! I can still map out routes I'd take everyday. Aside from the bike, I fell in love with Ryanair which flew me from Stockholm to Milan for 10 Euro. Awesome. Why don't we have that here! I can't overlook Tallink which I rode to cross the Baltic a million times. Just don't do what I did and not book a cabin for the overnight ferry- I would find a chair and sleep on my rucksack to save a few Euro...I am so so cheap.

But NYC takes the cake. Talk about a no needed, no car wanted. Where on earth would you park? No thanks. Give me the trains anyday. Or better yet flag a taxi (but not often...you know I'm cheap at this point!).

But HERE, in West Michigan I am driving my little white Mazda3. Granted, I can blame Jon for insisting we buy it, but in reality I find myself driving it most of the time due to our work schedules. Why do I find myself driving more than I need to these days? Sheer laziness and inefficiency. But no longer! I have imposed Limited Car Days. Days where there are no baby classes to attend, or appointments to get to I will not let myself leave the Caledonia area (where I work). No need to drive back to Grand Rapids only to have to be back here in the afternoon. I am embarrassed that I have done so much of that.

Today is one of those days and I have set up shop at Panera and have hijacked Jon's computer to work from here :)

I feel better already :)