when we move back to the states in july, i will be so excited to be able to drive a car again! the freedom that it gives me allows me to be spontaneous. and i can’t wait for that. of course, we absolutely must have a car in the states. there is no other way to get around. yeah, a car is required in order to move about within a city and from one city to another.
but, i wish i had the option of choosing public transportation or my car – and by public transportation, i mean, transportation that is available more frequently and does not involve putting your life into your own hands. alas, the states is not equipped with a train system, or buses that run frequently & in many places, or subways that take you across cities underground – except in the largest cities. yep. a car is the main, mandatory mode of transportation in the states.
which means, that i am going to miss all of the fabulous transportation systems in place throughout europe. i love being able to walk places, hop on a bus, and step onto a train or subway and whisk myself all over a city. or even from city to city.
of course, i love flying too. especially take off & landing. which makes me the complete opposite of my love. hehe.
i discovered this past weekend that berlin is a place that runs because of it’s transportation system. though, it may not be the most reliable/on-time system. well, at least that’s how i experienced it this weekend. but, still, i loved it. hopping on the train & the subway. waiting for the bus – even if it was 30 minutes in the freezing cold at night. feeling the vibe of the city. people moving constantly about. sharing spaces with strangers. encountering musicians who roam around playing randomly in a subway or in the station. scooting all over the city with ease. observing and imagining what fellow travelers are doing. gaaahh. i love it.
i love it so much, i decided to take tons of pictures of what it’s like to get around in berlin. so, here comes theme #2: planes, trains, & automobiles. berlin style.
so, where are you going today? are you taking a car? a train? a plane? a subway? going on foot? or on a horse? or are you staying home?
I loooooved the train system in Berlin. Everything about it was amazing: efficient, spacious, frequent… So great.
We’ve been getting a ton of slush/snow the last few days here in Chicago, and it has made any form of transportation miserable. Personally, I’ve been walking everywhere, but that means trekking through huge puddles and slush patches and having to get my pants all wet to get anywhere. I can’t wait for spring!
Ahhh… spring! So close & yet so far away! 😉
I an staying home, with an still ill Ellinor… Otherwise I would go to work by bus.
I hope this becomes a week full of days at work for you! 🙂
I road my bicycle for eight miles total yesterday. It was great, 41 degrees in the afternoon and I was all bundled up and was sweating and getting so overheated, just not used to it being above freezing. Lol, it was great.
Good and healing thoughts to you.
Kate
Whoa. That’s a lot of miles! Sounds very exciting! Hope you have more days like that. 🙂 Peace & love.
Hi Liz,
Thanks. Me too. It is very snowy today and tomorrow here, but warmer by the end of the week, so biking is definitely going to happen.
Good and healing thoughts to you.
Kate
Yep, definitely a huge difference between Europe and the US regarding public transit. It is nice to have the option of not driving, as you said a rarity here. I suppose population density has a lot to do with it, but also our landscape was laid out with the car in mind, so the whole walking thing would require a huge cultural shift since things are so spread out.
Yes, I feel sad to leave everything here, but very excited about having a car again. Life feels more spontaneous to me with a car. 🙂
I lurve my AU public transport!!! From Perth outward, it’s wonderfully set up with trains & buses. Our house is a 3 min. bus to our trendy, tourist-y foreshore of shops, pubs, deli’s (downtown biz district, too). The train station is about 10 mins. away. Best part? The bus picks up right at the end of our street- & if you’re going all the way to Perth, you buy your rail pass from the bus driver & the bus fare is waived (roundtrip).
Unlike the US, public schools use these same buses (extra buses run during school hours at the beginning & end of the school day). Student rates are greatly reduced (as in, through high school my son could go to Perth & back for 50 cents)! Trains are on time & plentiful to our little town. If you go to central Perth (the main shopping area which houses the museum, library, & art gallery)- all of those buses are entirely FREE! Yep, you just step on & off as you please- how cool is that? I love hopping on the train- either with a book & mp3’s or no book- and just listening to tunes as I watch the countryside whiz by. The drive, by comparison, is stressful & it’s expensive to park when you get there.
Coming from the states & living in FL & upstate NY- I can say that the transport here is hugely appreciated. If you two ever make it to AU, Liz- you’ll see it for yourself- 😉
I will HAVE to see it for myself one day!! I am so curious! And your transportation set-up sounds amazing. 🙂