Monday, January 20, 2014

Amy + Car = OMGCOMMITMENTFEAR

My final months of Wisconsin-living were plagued with 45-minute to one-hour commutes in my car to and from work. I was determined to only cycle, walk, or take public transportation wherever I lived next. Better for my body. Owning a car would also be expensive (gas + insurance + maintenance) and without one, I could put my money toward other things.

Of course, I imagined I would be living in New York...or Europe...not Tucson.

So far, being carless in Arizona has been pretty ok. I've managed to deal with multiple grocery runs every week and a serious impedance on travel. Tucson is spread out and public transportation is not very convenient - the buses close down EARLY on weekends (?!). But being a cyclist, I don't often worry about traffic, parking, speeding tickets, gas expense, car accidents, insurance, or anything related to a car. Living has been pretty manageable. 

However, the longer I am in Tucson, the more I want to meet people and DO THINGS. To do more, I must travel faster. To travel faster, I need a car. In the past, I've cut my losses: "Oh well, I just won't go to X or try to get a job at Y or skip out on Q...something that I like doing :(." I figured that it would all work out in the end. I also figured I wouldn't be here for too long and buying a car would be a hinderance to my moving. 

Yet here I am. Still in Tucson...with limited funds to move anywhere else and a desire to build a better life and some savings right now. 

So I've been thinking about buying a car once I can afford it...which means that I probably won't try to move away soon...which means I'll be here longer...which means previous dreams of living in a different, more cosmopolitan city are questioned now... :-/ 

And there will be more hot-hot summers in my life...ugh. Committing to Tucson in order to build some life is not a pleasant thought, but I think right now it has to be done. 

So here's to buying a car within the next two years. 

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