Getting around

As I ride my bike around town, I often think about cars.  Mostly, I think about how I don't really miss having, maintaining, or driving a car.  It is so nice not having to fill up the tank, pay for insurance, go in for oil changes, as well as dealing with any maintenance. 

The only times I have really missed having a vehicle is when I want to go to Costco, take a road trip, or going to or from the airport.  The airport run makes me wish for a car only because of the luggage and nothing else.  It takes about the same amount of time to drive as it does to take the train from our house to or from the airport.  If we had an easier form of public transit (like a direct shuttle bus), I wouldn't want a car for that usage.  We actually have a friend who has picked us up from the airport every time we've returned from the US, but I don't expect him to do that forever!  And we have done lots of airport runs to pick up and drop off guests.

I still really want to take a road trip through Japan.  My husband has suggested we could rent a car at some point and go for a road trip, but it has yet to happen.  Of course, if I had a more specific request, maybe we could bring this dream to reality.  I'm guessing that he's dragging his feet knowing that he would be doing all of the driving.  Although I have my Japanese driver's license, I still have zero desire to actually drive here.  The roads are so small and driving on the opposite side does not appeal to me.  Plus, I'm nervous about not being able to read the road signs.

Riding a bike is so much easier in my opinion.  That might seem like a very bold statement, but getting a child into a bike seat with a helmet on is much easier than a car seat any day.  It can be a pain to ride in the rain.  Luckily Japanese weather typically means short hard rainstorms and not constant dripping.  So, a lot of times, I can schedule my trips between rain showers and it doesn't matter in the end.

It is also nice because I don't have to drive around everywhere looking for parking.  And that is a winning recipe every day of the week. 

While the bike seat still isn't my friend after riding really long distances, it is nothing like when we first arrived.  I wish I tracked how much I ride around town, because it really does add up! 

I have never felt comfortable riding my bike in Seattle.  I have lived some places where I've been able to walk to the grocery store, but I've never hopped on a bike to get there and back.  It is unique to Asia because cars in the US simply don't watch for bikes.  Sharing the road isn't common and isn't encouraged like it is here.  When we move back, I will most likely stick to the trails, if I even get on a bike at all.