Life is a Highway - it’s the journey, not the destination

Sometimes I wish we didn’t have a car. Aside from the general costs when doddgy garages don’t do things right (don’t ask) it’s getting so expensive just to get from A to B these days. And it causes so much stress!

I was reading the Green House By the Sea holiday blog this morning (And also Ali’s blog made me think of it the other day) and it set me off thinking about when we never had a car and had to go everywhere by public transport. I know it sounds mad, but I used to love the freedom of it, of not having to think when I got on the bus, it took me where I wanted and I didn’t have to worry about traffic, other idiots on the road or how much it was because I’d buy a weekly pass. So I could go anywhere I wanted and it was no more than if I just did my normal route. I loved the time I got to myself, just letting myself daydream and think about things. I really miss that time to think nowadays and often I have days when I just need to think so I spend it moping around daydreaming!

I was so much fitter back then as well. I can’t believe how unfit I am these days, all that walking to bus stops and running to catch the last bus must do something!

This *was* before kids of course so maybe my romanticising about it isn’t wholely about buses and public transport in general!!

Train journeys are great too. We used to get the train to London when I was a kid so we could visit my aunty. It’s been a while since we had a good train journey and my kids have never been on a train so we’re really looking forward to going to Edinburgh by train in 2 weeks. I think I’m more excited than anyone else though! Definitely shall put a train journey to St Ives on my to do list as well.

So yeah, I think it would be really interesting to give up the car for a while and see what life without it would be like. It aint ever going to happen really. James would rather cut off his arm than go carless, but maybe I can have a think to see if I can really cut down on my use of it. Start taking the bus more and get some more fresh air. I’ve just found out we can get a much cheaper weekly bus ticket if we just use certain buses, so will be looking at that more. I’m sure it won’t all be a bed of roses, but worth a try anyway.