Its been about three months now since I gave up my [mom's] car and made the switch to car-free.
I had no idea just what a positive change it would be.
First, there's the obvious health benefits. I hardly even break a sweat on the hilly climb up Glisan Street from work to home. My legs are more toned. I sleep well at night because I'm always getting enough exercise.
And then, the part that surprised me: feeling like a part of a community. Take, for example, my commute to work in downtown from SE Portland. As I get closer to the Hawthorne Bridge, a large group of fellow bike commuters begins to form. Suddenly there's a whole pack of us, turning together, hauling our butts up the on-ramp, avoiding cars:
It feels amazing to be a part of this group; getting from one place to another in a healthy and fun manner without a giant steel cage separating us from each other and our surroundings.
It also helped prepare me for last weekend when I rode my very first century, the Portland Century.
The ride included Portland's finest bike paths, some great hills, several rest stops with all the peanut butter and jelly you can eat and one with pizza(!), and some great scenery in between it all.
With much thanks to four very strong and kind men, I finished! At the finish line: a cute boy, salmon dinner, and beer garden! Could they even call it a Portland Century without a beer garden?
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