Extending the Challenge

I really enjoyed participating in the Car-Free Challenge, and really needed it!  I have been contemplating, for two years now, getting rid of my car (my family's second), and the challenge gave me the motivation that I needed to at least give it a try.  The week was a combination of doing things I'm used to doing (biking to work), and trying out new modes of transportation to get places I usually use my car for (shopping and hiking trips).  I found that I was able to appreciate the usual bike/bus trips a lot more than I normally would, and I came away feeling incredibly lucky and especially grateful to live and work where I do.  I loved being introduced to grocery shopping by bike, and am definitely going to be doing that more often.

There were a couple of days where I felt completely overwhelmed by the automobile, (and the news of the person who ran over four cyclists didn't help), and had to wonder, 'why am I doing this again?'.  I have a very difficult time when I'm not respected on the road as a cyclist by drivers.  This is something I deal with on a weekly basis on my bike, and somedays it can feel like a losing battle. 

Nevertheless, I feel much more confident (and excited even) about getting rid of my car, and I've decided to extend the challenge for myself for at least another week, and then I may just trying extending it indefinitely.  My goal is to drive my car zero city miles, and to get in my husband's car only for long away trips.  Wish me luck!

Thanks, Tranform, for the work that you do, and for hosting this awesome challenge!  Congrats to everyone who participated!