Living 2.2 miles from my office and around a mile from the beautiful Downtown Chattanooga riverfront, the decision to go car free for a week was a mostly peaceful, hot (why did I wait until June on this?) and gym routine altering adventure.
Starting on a Thursday and going through Wednesday, my no car week was a split between biking and walking. When deciding on this item and then planning for the week, I'm so thankful to live where I live and in a city where this is a doable option for me. I didn't take public transit during the week. Mainly because I didn't have to; everything was more quickly accessible via walking or biking based on the location of my office and home to surrounding amenities. However, Downtown Chattanooga does have an awesome free electric shuttle system that I do take often. I walked/biked to work, to meetings, to the movies, to the store, to the pharmacy, to get coffee, to get lunch, to friends' homes, to the gym and many other tasks. I also choose not to ride in a car with others. While I know if I didn't own a personal vehicle, this would have to be an option. I truly wanted to go car free.
So here is the downside. There's a lot of planning and prep involved. I couldn't easily get back to my home if I forgot something. I strategically planned this week when I thought both personally and professionally I could swing it. I had to leave my home 45 minutes to an hour early to arrive at work, cool down and then change into my work clothes. My makeup and hair looked a little rough the entire week. I had to delegate a few tasks to my colleagues that I normally would have handled because I didn't have my car. I biked and walked in the rain. And did I mention it's kind of hot in June in Chattanooga?
But the upside was truly better than the down. The commute allowed me to enjoy my city and especially my mornings more. I got to see beautiful things and speak to fellow bikers/walkers that I would have missed sitting behind the wheel of my car. I felt more confident in my urban biking skills because I was doing it back to back days. On my work commute home, I was able to decompress and come home more centered on being home and being with my husband. It might not be good for my wallet, but I popped into more stores and coffee shops when I was out walking or on my bike than I would have in my car. It also allowed me to shorten and alter my workout routine. Over the course of the week, I biked and walked over 27 miles.
To be transparent, I did have to cheat one time. And by have to cheat, I had to drive someone who was bleeding profusely to the emergency room. That's way more important than my goal. Thankfully, everyone's fine.
So what did I learn during my week of being bipedal and using my bike? While driving a car is most of the time quicker and could be more convenient depending on the situation, biking and walking was a much more enjoyable and less stressful experience not to mention healthier habits. I hope I take the time in the future to bike and walk more; whether that's commuting, running errands or for social functions. Maybe one day I can own an electric bike?
Here are some of the fun things I was able to capture on my week's long adventure:
Starting on a Thursday and going through Wednesday, my no car week was a split between biking and walking. When deciding on this item and then planning for the week, I'm so thankful to live where I live and in a city where this is a doable option for me. I didn't take public transit during the week. Mainly because I didn't have to; everything was more quickly accessible via walking or biking based on the location of my office and home to surrounding amenities. However, Downtown Chattanooga does have an awesome free electric shuttle system that I do take often. I walked/biked to work, to meetings, to the movies, to the store, to the pharmacy, to get coffee, to get lunch, to friends' homes, to the gym and many other tasks. I also choose not to ride in a car with others. While I know if I didn't own a personal vehicle, this would have to be an option. I truly wanted to go car free.
So here is the downside. There's a lot of planning and prep involved. I couldn't easily get back to my home if I forgot something. I strategically planned this week when I thought both personally and professionally I could swing it. I had to leave my home 45 minutes to an hour early to arrive at work, cool down and then change into my work clothes. My makeup and hair looked a little rough the entire week. I had to delegate a few tasks to my colleagues that I normally would have handled because I didn't have my car. I biked and walked in the rain. And did I mention it's kind of hot in June in Chattanooga?
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| My little bike on a morning commute. Thankful for my little red basket. |
To be transparent, I did have to cheat one time. And by have to cheat, I had to drive someone who was bleeding profusely to the emergency room. That's way more important than my goal. Thankfully, everyone's fine.
So what did I learn during my week of being bipedal and using my bike? While driving a car is most of the time quicker and could be more convenient depending on the situation, biking and walking was a much more enjoyable and less stressful experience not to mention healthier habits. I hope I take the time in the future to bike and walk more; whether that's commuting, running errands or for social functions. Maybe one day I can own an electric bike?
Here are some of the fun things I was able to capture on my week's long adventure:
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| Coffee and the Walnut Street Bridge |
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| Little gems along the way. |
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