Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)
When Steve and I were in Europe last year (I can't believe it's been a year since that trip!), we spent four glorious months walking, biking, and taking public transportation. The only time either of us drove was when we were working on that farm in Hungary, and then it was only a tractor. The only times either of us sat in a car was when we were hitchhiking back and forth from that farm to a music/arts festival a few villages over. And there wasn't a single moment in that whole four months that I thought to myself, "Man, you know what I wish I could do right now? DRIVE."
We never had to. The places we visited were all made for pedestrians - everything was within walking distance from everything else. After the initial shock of observing our Polish friend Anna walk us the long way back to her flat IN HEELS, we realized that, yes, anything that is three miles or less is in walking distance. Any place that was farther away or that we wanted to get to quickly was reachable by bus or subway. Occasionally we would ride bikes to places. Looking around us, we soon realized something that was the opposite of how life is in the United States: if you want to get anywhere in Europe, driving is probably the most inconvenient way of going about it.
Within an hour of arriving back in the United States, we hopped on a six-lane freeway heading home from LAX and passed by at least four accidents. Which is three more than we saw the ENTIRE TIME we were in Europe. A few days later, we were driving with a friend of ours to another friend's soccer game, and she asked us this completely absurd question:
"So did you guys miss being able to drive around in your own car while you were gone?"
Umm. No. Absolutely not.
For the last year and a half (ish) that Steve and I were in school, we were interning (then working FT) at places that were 30 miles away from where we were living. Luckily for us, our jobs weren't too far apart from each other and we usually carpooled. But those 45+ minutes of driving each way, five days a week? Awful. And we were going against traffic. Our commute would've easily been doubled or tripled if we'd had to drive in the other direction. Suffice it to say that before we went to Europe, I already disliked having to drive anywhere. And if I didn't like it when I had to do it, I sure as hell didn't like it after living for four months without it.
I don't know how people do it. I don't know why Americans insist on doing it. So to answer the question of "What do I miss":
I miss not having to drive. Ever.
Driving sucks. Cars are expensive, for one thing. Between gas and maintenance and insurance, not to mention the actual purchase of the vehicle, it's a lot more trouble than it's worth. The hectic times of the day traffic-wise are the times when people are already cranky and pissed off and ready to just GET HOME. So what happens when you put a whole bunch of annoyed, restless, irritable people in vehicles and stick them all on the road at the same time? Road rage, and accidents, and horn honking and cursing and middle fingers everywhere. Not to mention it's bad for the environment, having so many cars on the road all at once.
I work about one mile from where I live, and I still drive to work all the time. Why? Because I suck at waking up early and in the afternoons now it is too blasted hot to do anything (it's supposed to hit 110 degrees this weekend) and basically because I am lazy. And I need to change that, because seriously? I. HATE. DRIVING.
So this is not so much an answer to the prompt, but more of a declaration:
I am going to drive less. Because walking or biking is less offensive to my mental health, my waistline, and the environment. This means no more waking up ten minutes before I need to run out the door and jump in my car to get to work on time. This probably means packing a lunch for work (unless I can convince Steve to bike over and bring me food :D ). This means sucking it up when it's hot outside, because you know what else is hot? The steering wheel of a car that's been baking outside all day long. And the car key after six minutes of being in the ignition (I can't count the number of times I have burned myself pulling the key out even though it only takes a few minutes to get home). I vow to spend less time rolling my eyes at other drivers and more time soaking in the beautiful sunshine. I vow to alleviate stress by both avoiding the maniacs driving down Market Street and getting some exercise in every day. I vow to spend less money on gas and more money on fresh produce at the farmer's market, which, now that June has hit, will be open on Thursday in the Promenade, which is on my way home from work. I vow to think happy thoughts on these walks, which will only take about ten minutes more than it would to drive. I vow to admire all the trees in my town and remember that by walking, I am helping the environment that those trees grown in.
I miss not having to drive... It's time to remember what that's like.
