And So It Begins

The transition period for my endeavor to own no car ended abruptly today. I was hoping to eek out a couple more trips, but that was not to be. The irony is the car broke down on my way to a workshop on getting the most out of federal funding for active transportation in the Tidewater region.

So the car is gone. But I have my Zipcar membership, I have my bikes and my shoes. (Clearly, this is simplified living.) In reality, there's no reason I still can't go where I need to go, but yet, it feels so different. I found myself thinking earlier this week that the whole idea of transitioning was tough because it's just too easy to use the car when it's sitting in the driveway. Took care of that issue. 

I called my insurance company to cancel my auto insurance, and the agent asked when I would be replacing the car. There was a very long pause when I said I wouldn't. When I explained my plan, she sounded a bit skeptical, but at least she didn't laugh at me. 

The responses from friends and acquaintances has been fun. Those who know me aren't surprised at all, but I find it fascinating to watch them start to mull over the full scope of this plan, and then start to offer suggestions or assistance -- all of which is appreciated. I tend to brush aside assistance reactively and unconsciously, and another outcome of this experiment may have to be learning to rely on others a bit more.  Just not too much.