The Nuts and Bolts of It

3.4 miles is the distance from my front door to the door of my workplace. 1 hour is how long it takes me to walk there directly, no stopping except for traffic lights. 15 minutes is the amount of time it took me to drive that distance every morning in my car. 1.5 hours is how long it takes me to complete my morning rituals, including dog walking, breakfast and conversation- not negotiable. $2.50 is the cost of the bus, with one transfer, taking me from my neighborhood to the neighborhood where I work.

Sometimes the bus is worth it.

But I love to walk- weather and schedule permitting. My body seems built for it. I like driving, but never loved it. Not the daily grind kind of driving that mindlessly takes you, as if without your consent, to the grocery store and the million other destinations where errands and duty are your mission. That kind of driving was taking over my life- my very short life. And while over two hours devoted to preparing for and arriving to work looks excessive, car-free, my time now oddly feels more like my own.

I've traded a roomy, if sometimes cluttered, backseat, for a tote bag housing daily necessities like water bottle, take-home work, library books, shopping bags and lunch. If I remember. To help with the transition, I made a post-it note list of all of the things I might want to take with me. It is stuck to the inside of the front door, and I check it against my needs. Objects that used to live rent-free in my car- an umbrella, sunglasses, the i-pod- now must demonstrate their value to me daily if they are to be tossed in the bag . I can't afford to carry dead weight.

Sunscreen, liberally applied to my face and neck, and a new pair walking boots, are the only other changes to my commute. I have walked as far to work before, though from a different direction. I remember how- with purpose, and at my own pace.