Living without a car

We've been living without a vehicle for almost a month now, since July 3 when we returned home from a month-long trip back East. The clutch went out on our VW van in Escanaba, Michigan, on the way back to Wisconsin. We rented a U-Haul truck and trailer and towed the van to a VW specialist in Ironwood, Michigan. It's still there as he couldn't begin to work on the van until a week ago and we're having some other work done, too.

Our decision to live close to town (less than a couple of miles) rather than further out is now paying off. We've been getting along just fine without a car, using our Marin "utility/commuting" bikes to get groceries/run errands. (Note the cool baskets made by Amish folks from Pennsylvania.)

This month-long period without a car has made us even more aware of how easy it is to use the bikes for our every day needs rather than jumping in the car. Using the bikes gives us much pleasure and makes us feel self-sufficient. We expect to have the van back within a week but, after this experience, I think we'll continue to use the bikes more often than before.

P.S. Much has happened since I last updated this blog. I'll post a review of our activities during the past few months soon.