It is interesting how some things in life change, and some things stay the same. Thankfully, I can usually rely on the bus to be a constant in my life. While relationships and situations can vary, being car-free is consistent, at least you know what to expect. In my last post, I talked about my move and new location being so convenient to more bus lines. There is another perk: where I catch my morning bus there are covered bus stops to prevent getting wet on rainy days and trash cans! Seems like a little thing, but being dry on a wet day goes a long way. And I have always thought if there were more trash bins at bus stops and around town, possibly there would be less litter; just a thought. And on days when I miss my usual bus (which seems to be more often lately) then I have a few more options for later buses than I had before. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not; when I had only one option, I tried harder to make that option work and I arrived to work earlier. Now that I have other choices, could that be the reason I'm not the first one in the office these days?
Those of you that have followed my blog for awhile have probably noticed I've gone from blogging about riding the bus as a family, to riding with my son to now riding and walking more solo. As the novelty of being car-less wore off for my family, it seemed to become even more intriguing for me. Whether to school, work, worship or shopping, walking, biking and riding the bus have been a constant for me. Being car-less makes sense for me financially, and also gives me a sense of freedom and independence. As I've stated often in this blog, it may seem just the opposite, being dependent on the bus lines or vulnerable to weather conditions may appear limiting. But I view being car-less as just the opposite; I'm challenged to find other ways to spend my income, choosing to invest in my son's and my education. I like to view it as a game to dress warm enough to be comfortable, but not too warm that I arrive at my destination too warm from walking. Or to time my departure and arrival so that I'm early instead of running behind or being worried about traffic making me late. And I've often talked about the benefits of not having to pay a car note, or for gasoline, car insurance and repairs. It all adds up as a savings.
So, as life changes and we realize that we don't know what tomorrow brings, we can relish in the thought that whatever it is that gets us through today will hopefully bring us to tomorrow. And however we make that journey, it is all so worthwhile. Happy travels.
