The short answer is absolutely!

I miss my Subaru Forrester immensely, at times.  But I think I miss my car most when I get to or have to borrow a vehicle from someone and get to drive around a bit.  I have always loved to drive, some people hate it and avoid it at all cost but not me.  I was always happy to take the wheel.  That has changed slightly since shifting away from my car but it’s always deep down inside me somewhere.

I only realized that I may actually miss having my car last night by chance.  I’m building a cedar closet for my parents while they are away this weekend and last night I picked up their car for a few days for hauling supplies, being able to work late, early and all hours in between.  All the activities involved in a minor construction project that are VERY difficult on a bike.  As I drove back to my place in Worcester, I liked driving for that 20 minutes A LOT!  It was great to sit and listen to the radio.

It’s a very hard feeling to describe because I’ve never thought about it or tried to figure it out.  The advanced level of engagement with my commute, my schedule, and world itself that I have raved about on many occasions and one of my favorite aspects of traveling by bike is conversely true in a car.  During my car ride, I was enthralled by the total disconnectedness and isolation I felt for that time.  Once I got used to the vehicle and was on the highway for a few minutes, I was able to relax and (as awful as it sounds) my mind started to shut down and let my thoughts just meander from topic to topic and nothing at all!

As much as I enjoyed this brief respite from thinking and life itself, I also realized that I could not do my tri-weekly commute to Boston(never mind 5 days a week) in a car for all the same reason that my 20 minutes last night was great.  Too much of anything turns bad and 9-12(not to mention 15-20) hours a week of this isolated, disconnected feeling would ruin any enjoyment for me.

So yes, I miss my car from time to time but not for the reasons I would have assumed 7 months ago.  I have great friends, family and a GF that are alway willing to help if I have a task that requires vehicle assistance, which makes this lifestyle A LOT easier.  And in most daily situations I simply consider a quick “pop over” trip in a different timeframe now, as a 5 minute round-trip might be 15 or 20.