When I lived in Salt Lake, I had a crappy car. It was a teal '97 Chevy Cavalier and I loved it like crazy. I knew it was a sucky car, but I honestly didn't care Anyway, long story short, stuff started to go wrong with it and since I lived only about a mile away from the Trax Station (their version of a metro, or trolley, or whatever) I decided to start walking instead of driving.Then, when I moved to DC, I took the metro everywhere and continued the tradition. I walked EVERYWHERE for a solid 9 months until this June, when we moved to a tiny suburb of Baltimore where there is no mass transit. I loved walking everywhere though, and I miss it. I honestly think it shifted the whole entire way I saw the world.
See, when you drive places, you notice your speed, the stop lights, the crosswalks, the cops, and the other drivers that you just so desperately wish weren't there. When you walk, you notice the caterpillar inching it's way across the sidewalk you almost just squished with your giant foot, which makes you wonder whether or not it has any concept of how close to death it just came, or if it even cares. You notice how yesterday the sunflowers were facing east, but since your out later today, now they're pointing straight up. You notice a 2 degree difference when the wind changes. You notice that the air smells like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. You notice the beautifully human markings of some random construction worker who job it is to fix the incredibly convenient sidewalk you get to walk on.You notice the weathered, chipped brick of an old building you've driven past a thousand times and never noticed how gorgeous it is. One of my favorite things about walking is when you see a driver and they look at you like "Oh you poor thing, you don't have a car!" and you look at them like "Oh you poor thing, you're stuck in a cage on wheels, and I'm enjoying this fantastically beautiful world!". I usually smile and wave, but that's just me :)
Anyway, it's definitely nice to have a car where I live now, because like I said, it's a tiny town, and I love adventure, and I hate feeling stuck in one place, but every now and again, it's just good to go outside and remember what a freaking incredible place the world is, with my feet on the ground.
*Bonus: If you live somewhere it's rainy, you get to wear cute rain boots and a rain jacket, and that's pretty excellent functional fashion, if you ask me.
See, when you drive places, you notice your speed, the stop lights, the crosswalks, the cops, and the other drivers that you just so desperately wish weren't there. When you walk, you notice the caterpillar inching it's way across the sidewalk you almost just squished with your giant foot, which makes you wonder whether or not it has any concept of how close to death it just came, or if it even cares. You notice how yesterday the sunflowers were facing east, but since your out later today, now they're pointing straight up. You notice a 2 degree difference when the wind changes. You notice that the air smells like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. You notice the beautifully human markings of some random construction worker who job it is to fix the incredibly convenient sidewalk you get to walk on.You notice the weathered, chipped brick of an old building you've driven past a thousand times and never noticed how gorgeous it is. One of my favorite things about walking is when you see a driver and they look at you like "Oh you poor thing, you don't have a car!" and you look at them like "Oh you poor thing, you're stuck in a cage on wheels, and I'm enjoying this fantastically beautiful world!". I usually smile and wave, but that's just me :)
Anyway, it's definitely nice to have a car where I live now, because like I said, it's a tiny town, and I love adventure, and I hate feeling stuck in one place, but every now and again, it's just good to go outside and remember what a freaking incredible place the world is, with my feet on the ground.
.JPG) |
| I saw this most beautiful tree on my walk today! |
No comments:
Post a Comment