Finding my center ...

There have been so many changes in my life this summer ... selling my house, moving, going back to grad school full-time, preparing for the M+Ms to leave MN ... oh .... and that little thing like giving up my car!!!!  All of these changes has made it really difficult for me to get into a regular schedule.  I am still getting use to a new neighborhood, different class times depending on the day, bus schedules and routes, not knowing which mode of transportation is going to be ideal based on the weather and how to plan for the unexpected without a car ......

Given all of this, I have to admit that I am missing my meditation time on my bike.  Now - you might think that meditating on a bike perhaps is not the best idea ....  given if I closed my eyes and started saying "Ommmm" and carrying a candle on the bike might be dangerous!  However, my sister once taught me that meditating can be active.  Walking for me is the best way to meditate (or so I thought) .....  I can take time to notice my surroundings, clear my mind and center myself.  I have learned, though, that biking allows me the same thing.  It allows me the chance to think, clear my mind, focus on my body and my surroundings ..... all things that center me.  I didn't realize how important that is for me until these past 10 days when I have not biked as much.  There are all kinds of reasons why ....  the extreme heat yesterday, not wanting to put a bike helmet on after getting a haircut last week (I didn't want to mess up a GREAT blowout!!!) and perhaps being a bit lazy and hopping on the bus.  I have also been berating myself for not taking up a formal meditation practice .....  one which I have started and quit countless times over the past few years.  ......  But wait ....  I HAD started a meditation practice ....  I was doing it every time I walked or biked somewhere.  And .... these past 10 days that is what has been missing from my life.    Duh ....  perhaps that is why I have been feeling "off" .....  I have deprived myself of my mediatation time ....

So ....  here is to getting back on the bike and finding my center ....

I am a busser!!!

Well --- lately my bikes have been a little lonely in the garage --- but I have been exploring more of the Twin Cities by bus.  I actually made it out to Bloomington (almost Eden Prairie) from St. Paul on the bus (well, 3 buses) and then made it back from there to the U of M for class.  SUPER easy!!! :)  And - I have to say that everyone at the bus stops have been more than helpful.  I had people making sure that I made it off at the right stop --- and ensuring that I was on the right bus all safe and sound.  What a great community of people!

The one thing that I had just a bit of issue with was getting off the bus in suburban Bloomington and trying to figure out which direction to walk to my final destination.  Remember that part about my lack of direction?  I did have to call someone to "guide me in" ....  which actually resulted in being picked up. .....  But I almost made it by myself ....  next time!!!

I also witnessed numerous people load their bikes on the front of the bus.  I am ALMOST feeling confident that I could do it.  I did watch closely - but I am still nervous about getting my bike off if it is the first one on and there is one sitting in front.  But ....  I do need to get over that fear.  I have certainly conquered many fears in the past few months ....  and sometimes I look back and think ---  really, I was nervous about that?  But .... it has been a spring and summer of growth and the journey just continues ....

And I am very much looking forward to commuting by bike tomorrow!!!

What Have I Learned Thus Far?

I have been a bit remiss in posting lately --- which does not mean that I have not been continually learning --- just that I have not actually taken the time to sit down and write.  I have been asked by Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) to write a follow up to the interview Amber did with me about my decision to give up my car.  She wanted to know how I was doing --- and what I had learned so far ....  Hmmmmm ....  what have a I learned so far?  Here is a list - in no particular order:

1. Riding in the rain is very possible - but be careful when going around corners at great rates of speed and make sure that you have the right gear --- or else it is very much like biking in the shower!!!  And, make sure that your bag is also waterproof --- or the "dry clothes" you bring along to change into will not be very dry!
2. I need to get panniers for my bike, as I really hate carrying things on my back.  It gets heavy - and makes me even more sweaty.
3. How to successfully lock up my bike anywhere --- and that there are some places with fantastic bike racks --- and some places that finding something to lock my bike to is a challenge.
4. The most direct bike route is not necessarily the best bike route.
5. Sometimes the sidewalk does end.
6. Taking the bus is a viable, lovely option when it is raining or WAY too hot outside to do anything but stand in the shade.
7. It is ok to get up and move to a new seat on the bus if you determine that the people sitting directly in front of you have not showered/bathed for more than 3 days .....  and it is ok to turn down the drink in the brown paper bag from said couple, even if it is after 12pm.
8. Accepting offers from friends to pick you up or drop you off somewhere is wonderful!  I never expect it, but it is nice to have such a great support system.
9. It is possible to bike in high heels and a skirt!  I bike in a skirt often --- and I do tend to wear flats or bike shoes when biking and take along the high heels ----  but I have biked in high heels and it works perfectly fine.
10. Even cute bike helmets look silly .... but they are IMPORTANT, so I do wear mine.
11. Arriving to a casual date on my bike is perfectly acceptable.
12. Arriving to a more "fancy" date by bus is perfectly acceptable (and if it hadn't been SUPER hot I could have arrived on my bike).
13. Having a date drop me off somewhere near my house after a first date is also perfectly acceptable!
14. Reminding myself that I am the one that chose to be car-free --- therefore, I cannot get cranky when a meeting goes a bit longer than expected just because I know that I have an hour bike ride home in the rain.
15. There are lots of people who live without cars --- and not always by choice --- and we need to continue to do a better job of making our communities accessible to everyone!
16. Not having a car is more and more do-able every day and feels very freeing .... well, sometimes it feels very freeing ....  sometimes it feel very hard ....  but the freeing feelings vastly outweigh the hard feelings.

What else do I need/want to learn/experience?

1. How to put my bike on the front of a bus.  I know it is suppose to be easy - and I did practice at the Living Green Expo -- but it seems really different there than when I am standing in front of a running bus with people inside waiting for me.  And, what if my bike is the first one on, and someone puts their bike in front of mine.  Will I be able to lift my bike up and over? ...
2. How to get places other than St. Paul and Minneapolis on the bus.  I know I can look at the schedule --- just haven't done it yet.
3. How to successfully separate my bike commute from my workout.  Bike commuting certainly made me stronger on the bike leg of a recent triathlon ....  but I have not been as consistent in getting out for long rides on Lucy (my road bike).  Sophia (my commuting bike) gets to spend much more time with me!
4. How to not think twice about an invitation --- even if it is in an inconvenient place.  I have not turned down invitations, yet ----  but I have seriously considered it.  I just need to immediately jump online and figure out the best way to get there.
5. I don't need to learn this --- but there is some bike gear that I would still like to get:  back rack, panniers, cute, small, stylish backpack (mostly for when I walk places .....) and better rain gear.
6. And ....  I am certain that there are other things that I have not experienced that I will in future.  (I am not even thinking about winter yet ....)

No sense of direction ....

Ok -  I have always known this about myself - that I have no sense of direction.  However - sometimes I choose not to believe this and think that I can can navigate somewhere based on my intuition.  Well ...  I really can't.  Yesterday when biking to class (the first time from my new house) I thought I could navigate through the fairgrounds and hop on the U of M transit way.  Easy enough ....  I mean, I am a Minnesotan and I have been to the MN State Fair countless number of times.  My first mistake was my failure to remember that when I am at the fair I never know exactly where I am.  So - blissfully ignorant, I set off.  I did make it to the fairgrounds (I only had to make two turns .... that part was easy.)  Once in the fairgrounds I headed sort of in the right direction.  I could see the St. Paul campus and tried to make my way over there.  I did succeed in making it on to campus --- up and down the hills of the campus --- but no transit way.  The second mistake that I made was not remembering that I am not always very observant.  (Note that when I was young I walked right past a new bike sitting in the kitchen while going to get my breakfast!!!)  So - after biking around for awhile, I decided to head over to Como Ave ---  I knew where that was to catch the transit way there.  As I headed down the hill ----  guess what I saw?  The Transit Way!!! :)  I had biked by it not once, but twice ......  But, whew ...  finally I was on my way.

The bummer was that I had started sweating - a lot - given my trips up and down the hills.  I wasn't that worried about being sweaty --- but I was concerned when my facial lotion started running in my eyes.  I spent a few minutes not being able to see--- eyes all squinty, tears running down my face and hoping that I wasn't getting all frothy!!! (I did think about once when my mom and I did a road race and her facial lotion made her face all white and frothy when she started to sweat.)  However, I did survive that part.  The transit way is actually a lovely ride - with a nice false flat running a bit downhill all of the way to campus ---  so I was able to make up a bit of time.  I did pondered the fact when I saw a gopher - the victim of what I supposed was an inter-campus bus - why we would kill one of our own!!! ;)

So - I hope that I am a bit more successful heading to class today.  I have a test ---- and I don't want to be late!!! :)

Journey around St. Paul

I had an interesting bus ride today!!! :)  I got a ride to class - so needed to take the bus to a meeting downtown St. Paul and then back to my new house.  I used the metro transit link to map the route --- but didn't actually look at the map - just knew where I could get on and off.  The ride from Mpls to St. Paul was uneventful - albeit LONG.  I took a complete tour of St. Paul through neighborhoods that were unfamiliar to me.  It reminded me that my love of St. Paul is limited to a specific area! ;)  It also brought up a few questions - like what is BENGO?  I have heard of BINGO - but not BENGO.  And - who knew that there was an Aerospace Elementary School in St. Paul?  Well .... I am sure many people did - but I didn't!!! :)

The ride home was a bit more "special"!!! :)  The first 1/3 of the ride was quiet --- and by that time I was one of two people (besides the bus driver) on the bus.  And then the fun started!!! :)  As I said - there was only one other person sitting in the bus when The Couple got on and of all the places they could have sat - they sat in the two seats right ahead of me.  They happened to be very loud, very affectionate and very drunk ....  and perhaps they hadn't bathed in awhile.  It was amusing for a few minutes - and I really should have gotten up to move, but I didn't want to hurt their feelings ....  not sure why I thought that .....  but if I had moved --- they probably wouldn't have turned around to offer me a drink of whatever they had in their brown paper bag!!! :)    So --- there was I sitting behind these two individuals who were so drunk they could barely speak (although they were able to find each other's lips) trying to hold my breath --- which would have helped when the woman farted .....  and of course they thought that was hilarious!!! :)  And despite the fact that they were so gracious to share their drink with me --- I did decide to get off a couple of stops early, because by that time the bus was filling up!

As I was walking home it did make me smile.  Why was I worried about hurting their feelings?  They probably won't even remember the bus ride.   ....  And, at least they didn't try to kiss me!!! :)  Many, many years ago a similar experience with a gentleman on a bus - who kissed my mom and offered us his chicken wings had scared me off the bus for a LONG time.  Now it was just an amusing part of the day .....  and next time I will just move to another seat.

New Neighborhood Exploration

It has been an interesting few days getting to know my new neighborhood on foot, bike and bus.  I am certainly quite familiar with the area - but it is so much more intimate walking through the the neighborhood seeing people out in their gardens, smelling the grills going and getting to know the best routes - or the not so much!  As I was walking yesterday to get a pedicure I came to where the sidewalk ends ....  and not the fun kind that Shel Silverstein described.  It was the kind where the sidewalk literally ends and I had to walk through the dirt before being able to cross the street.  (Good thing that was on the way to get the pedicure and not on the way home!!) 

I also found that it was almost as fast to catch a bus back to my "old neighborhood" to meet a new friend than it would have been to drive.  Yippee!!!!!  Well ---- it was easy to get there - not as easy to get back, but good thing I was able to get a ride home.  Bummer that what took me 20 minutes to go there would have taken me 70 minutes to get back.  I will have to do some more investigating ....  as I am not sure if that was because it was a weekend or what ....  But, good to know that I do have options!

Happy 4th of July!!!  Where will you bike/walk/bus this month?

Another Beautiful Day!!!

I just can't stop smiling these days!!! :)  What a great stretch of weather ....  perfect for not owning a car.  It was interesting yesterday when I was doing some errands on foot I reaffirmed how much I love my neighborhood ....  And how I often I use to jump in the car when I truly didn't need to!!!  It is so great to explore the neighborhood, get a little exercise, clear my mind and do errands.  It did make me a little sad - since today is the official day I move to another neighborhood in St. Paul --- but I am excited to explore that new neighborhood as well.

I know that there will be more challenging days in the future --- but I am completely enjoying the moment!!! :)