Waiting for the bus gives Jim time to reflect on the day.
After surviving the summer, we are now entering the sixth month of being car free.
Although Anna has had breakdowns. When the sun beat down and reflected off the pavement and back up her skirt, Anna would find herself having to snap out of a heat spell. The sun’s effects on your emotions can be quite complex.
However overall we have discovered the many benefits of going car-free. Most importantly is the lack of road rage in our lives. When driving in Atlanta, you are able to resist road rage at first, but the slow burn of hatred begins to twist your soul. This is more intolerable than heat craze.
Further, we are well prepared in the event of an apocalyptic event in which there is no oil and we have to evacuate on foot. We also know that we are at least getting a minimal amount of exercise whether or not we choose to go to the gym that day.
Just because you ride MARTA doesn't mean you can't look fabulous
Going car free means we have to do a good job planning out our meals, which has helped us save money.
Knowing your neighbors is also helpful, because sometimes they’ll stop and give you a ride. We have also been grateful to all the people who have given Anna a ride home from work on late nights.
A big part of this summer was also about managing the level of sweatiness you can get away with in different public settings, such as work, the grocery store or going out with friends. All of these have different levels of tolerance.
In the case of work, it was absolutely mandatory Anna showered after making the mile-long trek to the train station in the summer sun. The only way to do this was to get a gym membership in the building where Anna works. Steady exercise also helps in making the hilly, mile-long walk easier.
Getting caught in the rain isn't as bad as it seems.
In walking around the city, we mostly find ourselves talking about multiple matters of life and love as well as taking on important questions like:
What if we lived in a world where the mosquitos grew to be the size of birds?
Anna would carry around a gun. Jim thinks a stick is sufficient.
How often do you think the city would have to pick up the remains of mosquitos that had been killed? They would have to do so on a regular basis, and that would create jobs. No one would want to step over the remains of a large mosquito on their way to the grocery store.
Getting close under an umbrella can bring you figuratively closer together too.
Horror. Shock. Gasp. This is the reaction people would have to the mosquito remains. It is also usually what we are met with when we talk about not having a car. We have met few people who also solely rely on public transportation (however, we know many people who use both).
What has surprised us both about the amount of walking we have done is the fact that we don’t want another car. The thought of paying for insurance, a car payment, gasoline, maintenance, and all the other fees associated with having a car, does not seem worth the cost.
This has also given us the strength to take on a few other vices:
- Sugar
- Coffee
- Beer
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