Personal mobility
This may seem like a small thing to be concerned with, and it is most definitely a luxurious thing to expect, but I cannot wait until I can get behind the wheel of a car and drive myself wherever I want to go at whatever time I want to go.
It may be a first world expectation and I may be spoiled, but I have come to detest kombis, cabs, and taxis. I would rather walk than be at the mercy of their whimsical timetables.
I hate ordering a taxi and not knowing when it'll arrive. It irks me even more when it takes 45+ minutes... Is that even professional?!
And, although I know that I pay to put gas into a car, at least I don't have to insert coins to open the doors every time I want to use it. There's something much more painful about forking over P30 (or 40, or 50) every time I step into a personal vehicle. (I wonder if I'll try to hand over cash whenever I step out of a friend's car now.)
I miss driving. The feeling of revving an engine and/or shifting gears makes my blood a couple of degrees warmer. Feeling the gear shaft in my hands, turning the wheel smoothly, managing the delicate balance between clutch, gas, and brake - its magical. The melding of human and machine takes a lifetime of practice and it's a joyful set of skills to cultivate.
I hope I'm not rusty. I hope it doesn't take me too long to get used to driving on the other side of the road again. I want to drive down and visit Dad, not just to see him and catch up but also to enjoy route 29 - the hills and curves. I look forward to turning on the radio and finding more than two genres of music available over the airwaves. I look forward to resting my arm out the window as I cruise through northern and central Virginia. I look forward to road trips, and pumping my own gas.
I look forward to familiar road signs, and traffic laws. I look forward to working stoplights. I look forward to signs in English. I look forward to well-maintained roads and sidewalks.
I look forward to using American dollars again.
But mostly, I look forward to independence, and self-directed mobility. Life is always different - freer - when you set your own pace.
It may be a first world expectation and I may be spoiled, but I have come to detest kombis, cabs, and taxis. I would rather walk than be at the mercy of their whimsical timetables.
I hate ordering a taxi and not knowing when it'll arrive. It irks me even more when it takes 45+ minutes... Is that even professional?!
And, although I know that I pay to put gas into a car, at least I don't have to insert coins to open the doors every time I want to use it. There's something much more painful about forking over P30 (or 40, or 50) every time I step into a personal vehicle. (I wonder if I'll try to hand over cash whenever I step out of a friend's car now.)
I miss driving. The feeling of revving an engine and/or shifting gears makes my blood a couple of degrees warmer. Feeling the gear shaft in my hands, turning the wheel smoothly, managing the delicate balance between clutch, gas, and brake - its magical. The melding of human and machine takes a lifetime of practice and it's a joyful set of skills to cultivate.
I hope I'm not rusty. I hope it doesn't take me too long to get used to driving on the other side of the road again. I want to drive down and visit Dad, not just to see him and catch up but also to enjoy route 29 - the hills and curves. I look forward to turning on the radio and finding more than two genres of music available over the airwaves. I look forward to resting my arm out the window as I cruise through northern and central Virginia. I look forward to road trips, and pumping my own gas.
I look forward to familiar road signs, and traffic laws. I look forward to working stoplights. I look forward to signs in English. I look forward to well-maintained roads and sidewalks.
I look forward to using American dollars again.
But mostly, I look forward to independence, and self-directed mobility. Life is always different - freer - when you set your own pace.