Be It: The Girl Sustainable on Transportation Options, part 2

July 26th, 2008 BY Annie | No Comments

Yesterday we talked about the more traditional transportation options: planes, trains, and automobiles. Well, not quite. We didn’t discuss planes at all. I assume that most of us are avoiding plane travel unless necessary. It costs too much and it’s too much of a hassle for me to think of it as a great option. Maybe I’m wrong. Let me know if you think otherwise.
Besides planes, though, we discussed cars, carpooling, public transportation, and train rides. Today let’s get a little less fuel-dependent in our options.

Bike. If you don’t own a bike you can ride, check into getting a good used one. If you do own a bike, get it in working order. (There are online guides for everything bike-related, from The 8-Minute Fix to an entire video tutorial course.) Once you get your bike in working order, plan ahead a bit. Think about all the errands you do within a five-mile radius of your house. Can you get there by bike? What route would be best? Start taking a morning bike ride instead of a morning jog to get an idea of the roads that are bike-friendly and the shortcuts you might have missed.
Walk. A shocking suggestion, I know, bound to revolutionize your life. You can actually use those legs and feet to get from Point A to Point B. Yes, it will probably take you longer than driving. That’s okay. You know all that time you spend in the gym? If you’re walking your errands every day instead of driving mindlessly, you can cut way down on your gym time. When you walk, you get to know your surroundings on an entirely different level. You see people. You notice the way buildings look in slow motion instead of in a blur. You see little hide-aways and small shops you’d never noticed. You think you might stop at that cafe for an iced tea on the way home. Maybe you’ll read some of that book you just picked up from the little book shop you’d never noticed. Walking opens your world up.
Don’t go. I realize that, technically, this is not an actual method of transportation. I just want to remind you that it’s an option. You are not obligated to say yes to every invitation you receive. You are not obligated to leave the house every evening. You are not required to log in a certain number of hours out and about per week. Your life is your choice. If you’re not really looking forward to the social event/work gathering/new club/shopping/errands, then cancel. Stay home. Give yourself a manicure.

Image Credits: juria yoshikawa.

Annie | My Bio & Articles

I love bare feet, Dr. Bronner's, cotton skirts, summer rain, winter snow, new places, open-minded people, deep conversations. I had a (short-lived) natural products company while I was in college: The Full Nelson Natural Products...