Car-less Consciousness
Since I was 16 years old, I have owned a car. (That’s a total of 12 years :)). In years past, there was never a time where I strongly considered going car-less because it just seemed like an automatic unconscious decision to have a vehicle to get around. I even bought car while traveling and living in New Zealand for a year; however, buying that car in NZ was essential to the full experience that I had while living abroad. NZ is a road tripping country because small towns and big cities are so close to each other that it made way more sense to invest in a vehicle then spend the money on buses that only stopped at select destinations whether you wanted to or not. The freedom a car gave me while traveling NZ was priceless.
When I returned to US soil I had no car to return home to. After staying in Asheville, NC for a bit, I decided to book a flight to visit my family in my hometown in NH for a couple of weeks. I had no real plans of where I’d plant myself at that point, but the last place on my mind was staying in frigid NH for the winter. How could I imagine life in cold NH after being in such tropical places? Well, life is funny and guess where I ended up? Yup, that’s right, my “two week visit” turned into 8 months of living at home in a comfy little town that I’ve known my whole life. When I first moved back, my mom was about to start remodeling her kitchen and she really needed help so I decided to stay and give her some peace of mind. Oh, that reminds me, another thing I’ve learned while traveling: never hold tight to any plans as they are bound to change and it is best to stay as flexible and open minded as possible. Trust me on this or else you will cause yourself much frustration and disappointment! You just never know where a choice you make will take you so don’t over think your decisions. Roll with it for a while. Give it a chance and you’ll soon know what your purpose was in that place whether it was for a few months or several years. There is purpose and learning in every situation you are in. Be open and aware during these moments of transition as they are intended to shape you and bring clarity to what you desire for your next chosen path.
So back to my story. Before I started settling into home life, I had dreams of road tripping out West and finding a job on a farm or in the Big Sur. The open road, new places to explore and new people to meet; however, God had different plans for me so I accepted them and spent several months without a job, trying to decipher what my next move was. With there being no leads out West, I began searching in town for something that could bring in a bit of income. Finding a job in this small town of 6,000 people during the winter seemed impossible. God willing, I was offered a job as a barista and food prep worker at a local café. I began looking around for cars and had my mind set on a Volvo X70. After doing the math, scoping out my location, and pondering my future goals of more travel, I decided to attempt to be car-less for the duration of my stay in my hometown. I was about a 15-minute walk to my job which doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well, not in most cases, but to have to do it during the worst winter NH has seen in 30 years, well then things get interesting. Walking to work in winter boots, wool hats and scarves wrapped around my face was not my ideal way of getting to work, but I wanted to stick to my goal and I did my best to embrace the experience for what it was. Listening to island reggae music on my iPod created the oasis I needed while crushing snow and ice under my boots and bearing the numbing winds that relentlessly whipped across my face.
Being car-less has brought a lot of beautiful interactions into my life from engaging in conversations with friends and strangers I meet along my walk to witnessing curious skunks crossing my path during my 11pm bike ride home from work. On the upside, being car-less has given me more time in nature which is a great way to start and end my day. Being in nature helps me recharge for what is ahead and release the demands of work I’ve endured throughout the day. Being car-less has allowed me to appreciate rides from my mom or friends a whole lot more and I’ve found little ways to show my appreciation along the way which I really enjoy doing. Also, knowing that my carbon footprint is very low and to think about the money I am saving for future adventures makes me very happy about my choice.
On the other side, the thing I miss most about having a car is the freedom of discovery that it gave me. I love the feeling of the open road. Getting into a car, windows down, blasting some beats and caring less about where I end up and more about the actual journey that I am on. I am an adventurer. I love to explore. There are not many places that I can bike to that I haven’t been to before, so not having a car has been quite difficult for my sanity when it comes to discovering new places or revisiting old gems. What can I say, I’m addicted to travel and the feeling of discovering a new place!
My future plans for travel have kept me in a content place while being car-less because it allows me to feel a bit freer to get up and go at any given moment. No car to sell or store. Less responsibilities; less “baggage”. Depending on my next location’s accessibility to public transport, I may decide to purchase an inexpensive ride to get me on the road to discovering the new places that my traveling heart and soul so yearn for. Until then, I’ve got my trusty Iron Horse to keep me cruising!
The best thing about trying new things like not depending on a car to get you around, is that you learn what’s important to you in life. Whether it’s having a car to go on spontaneous road trips with or using a bike as your means of transport because it makes you happy to know that you’re helping the planet, you begin to discover what you need to create positive synergy during your existence in this beautiful world.
Have you ever tried going car-less and depended only on your feet or bike for transportation? What has been you experience with it? Do you feel you were missing something in your life without a car, or were/are you living a happier existence without it?
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