no. 5: our bicycles

growing up in the south, we relied heavily on automobiles. it is a way of life down there. i learned to drive a car around the age of 12 if not earlier. i remember driving around the deer camp in my mom's station wagon and cruising down the country roads when i was barely able to reach the gas pedal.

those memories are definitely happy ones & i sometimes miss the sweet days of rolling down the windows, feeling the wind in my hair & putting my arm out the window to make a wave-like motion. but now- i cannot imagine my life with my car as my main form transportation. my bike has replaced those memories with new ones: holding hands with luke while bicycling, riding to the park with a load of picnic foods in my backpack, and feeling the chill on my face while i ride my bicycle to the bakery in the early morning hours.

i imagine the life that we will lead in ten years or so when we have a bigger family of a few babes & we travel by bicycle with our baby seats attached. there is so much beauty to be seen in relying on ourselves & our bodies to get from here to there, from work to class, from the store to home. also, it keeps our earth much happier.
so- make yourself happy & get on your bicycle! the weather's beautiful so give it a try!

-natalie

I love my bike. I love gliding down the street on two wheels, feeling the wind on my face and in my hair. I love the feeling of getting somewhere through my own efforts and energy. Driving a car is too passive. I want to work hard to get somewhere. I want to feel the accomplishment of struggling up a big hill or trying hard to keep up with the speed of traffic.

Riding a bike feels so natural. Sometimes my bike feels just like an extension of my legs, like my body was built with two wheels. I'll start to miss riding if I'm not able to be on my bike for a while. After these past weeks of non-stop rain, I couldn't wait to be back on my bike. I would even say that I'm better at riding my bike than driving a car. I've had fewer near accidents while riding my bike. A car can just be too fast for me and my brain isn't good at making quick decisions. A bike rides at just the right speed. It's faster than walking, but doesn't leave my brain behind.

Columbia is really a great city for cyclists. There are bike racks in front of nearly every business downtown, usually packed with bikes. And some of our major roads now have bike lanes. I see so many people who commute to work or school by bike. It just makes sense if you live close enough. Why use your money to burn gas when the energy in your body can get you places? Plus, it's just a great way to start your day--being active and enjoying the weather.

- Luke