In other news...

For the better part of the last 4 months I have been without a car. In many ways it has been a good thing, the public transportation here is pretty good*, and living about 2 km from the train station lets me get a good amount of walking in every day.

But, today, TODAY I got a hired car for the next 28 days!! My current project requires me to travel to a very distant suburb, and a car makes things much, much easier.


The top 5 things I am most excited about having a car again

1. Cutting my commute time in half!
This is by far the best thing about car aquisition. It takes me roughly an hour to get to work every day: a 20-25 minute walk to the train station, 15 minute train ride, 10 minute bus ride, plus the time I spend waiting for the aforementioned bus and train. As much as I love not spending 1.15 a litre for petrol, I hate that leaving the house 5 minutes late can (and does) make me a half an hour late to my destination. I will have infinitely more time in the evenings now, and I can start taking my walks in the beautiful park at the end of my street rather than along a busy road.
2. Going to the grocery store and buying as many heavy things as I want
I went to the grocery store this evening, and got an actual shopping cart for the first time in months! It was liberating to no longer be constrained the strength and endurance of my arms.
3. Shoe variety
All the walking necessitates proper walking shoes. Which means I wear my tennis shoes every. single. day. Finally I can wear other shoes when I go out and about.
4. Singing out loud
I love singing along to music, but I don't feel comfortable doing it while walking down the street listening to my MP3 player. In the car, however, I have no shame. I didn't realize how much I missed singing out loud until I started doing it in the car again. Yay!
5. Storage space
Walking everywhere also requires that I carry everything I am going to need in my bag or my backpack (or both). So space and my capability to carry everything is limited, very limited.

It really makes me grateful that I have a car in the U.S. My respect for people who rely solely on public transportation to get around from day to day has increased by a hundred-fold since I moved here.

Let the good times roll!!!

*Actually, I think it's fabulous, but I am an American so my exposure to quality public transportation is practically non-existent. Melbournians complain that the public transport sucks here...they have no idea how good they really have it.