Forward and Reverse

So I know I've been blabbing about how awesome it is that we don't have a car and haven't for three years (2009). How we love the exercise and how we never live too far from anything...well, that has all ended. In Miami public transportation was a breeze but in Fort Lauderdale things aren't so easy.

On one hand, I really wanted a car, like in the way a little girl really wants anything! I wanted it because I felt I was "too old" to be riding my bike 20 miles a day and arriving any/everywhere looking like a sweaty, disheveled mess. I wanted to be able to bring our daughter to play dates and help out the other Moms who so graciously traveled both ways in order to make up for our lack of transportation. I wanted to be able to sneak down to Miami and visit GR when his boat moved from one marina to another to await the arrival of owners. I wanted to be able to drive up to Daytona Beach for the holidays and see my Grama and other friends we miss so much! I wanted to hop in the car and drive to work when it was raining and/or cold, not bundle up into a bunch of layers and then shove all the extra clothes in my backpack because by afternoon it's back up to 80 degrees here!

On the other hand, I hated the idea of spending money on said car, a very temporary item, at least for us. In our bigger view of our future we do not have a need for a car. We will have the scooter, 3 bicycles and our dinghy (soon to come) but definitely -  NO CAR! I hated the fact that most of the reasons for getting the car were "wants" not "needs". Mostly, I hated that I was putting money towards something that wasn't going to accelerate our cruising "shove off" date. Yet, I made the decision anyway.

Here she is ... I'm calling her *Mellow* mostly because she looks like a marshmallow and slightly because I need to be reminded to just - be - mellow. I know this decision will turn out to be beneficial (Christmas tree hauling by bicycle would look quite funny) and there's always the fact that we will sell her before we do take off, because we will. Eventually.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying expressing gratitude for the ability to work hard and get the things we want and experience the freedom of a longer range of motion that "Mellow" provides in forward and in reverse!! ;)