A lifestyle change. How do you prepare for it?

Tomorrow is my big day!  Yes the Low-Car Diet starts tomorrow 9/14.  I will not drive my car for one month.  Eeeeeek!  Do I really want to do this? Am I really ready?

My anxiety list has grown bigger for the past few days.  What if my cats get sick and the nearest Zipcar was not available?  They weigh 13 pounds (each).  I can't haul them to their vet's office in Bellevue on the bus.  Will I be so exhausted by the end of the day after taking a long bus ride and not want to do anything than sit on my butt and watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer every night (currently, I do that and something else)?  How is this going to affect my social life?  My job?  My relationship?  Am I going to have enough materials to write on this blog???  Ahhhhh, my head hurts.

*Pause*

My wise friend once told me that worrying is like praying for something you don't want.

For those of you who know me well know that I'm a woman of structure and consistency.  I like having a plan and knowing what to expect.  So, to alleviate my pre-Low-Car Diet anxiety, I have been thinking a lot about how to make this a successful and meaningful experience.  Allow me to show you some of the ways I've been prepping for this!

I'm going to be spending significantly more time on the public transit.  Can I be doing something that I couldn't be doing if I were driving?  Unfortunately, reading on the bus makes me sick.  I tried crocheting on the bus before, but the results were very similar to reading on the bus.  I could be listening to some music, but my phone isn't that smart, and I'm not going to invest in iPod quite yet.  Instead, I got a "COBY" mini-radio for $9.99 at a drug store...  Now I can enjoy NPR on the bus!  except when I'm in the tunnel.  Sigh.

I also purchased a bag that is durable and functional so I can have both my hands available, and it can withstand some rain and other outdoor elements.   I found this bag at Goodwill for $2.99!  Score!

What else?  Well, I get very unhappy when I'm hungry.  I need to have some snacks on me in case I'm stranded somewhere...

Mixed Roasted Nuts and Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds.  Yummmm...

Of course, I got my ORCA Card and the Zipcard ready to go!!!

I think I'm done worrying now.  My Low-Car Life begins tomorrow, ready or not!

I'm giving up my car for a month!!

I love the convenience of driving my own car.  My 2000 Honda Civic has been there for me for the past 7 years.  It takes me to places whenever I want.  My trunk has become my mobile garden tool shed.  It gives me a space to think quietly or sing my heart out.  For the most part, it keeps me warm and dry.  It gives me a sense of security, perhaps a false sense of security, like I'm safe and protected in a shield made of impenetrable metal.

 So, why on earth do I want to give up driving my car?, you may ask.   Here are some of the reasons:

• Cost of owning a car - first comes the car payments.  Then periodical car maintenance: sometimes small, sometimes BIG.  Ever rising gas price.  Auto insurance. etc. etc.
• Environmental implications - learning about Peak Oil made me want to somehow decrease my dependence on oil.  I didn't want to freak out and not know what to do when the gas price hits 15, 20, 50 dollars per gallon. 

 These are all good-sounding reasons, right?  So what kept me from going car-free all these years?  Well, because I felt like having a car was a necessity.  I commute from Seattle to Bellevue every day.  My job requires me to go to different places for meetings at times.  When I was without a car for the first 7 years of my life in the U.S., I was often tired, cranky, and stressed.  I experienced harassment on the bus or at bus stops.  Bus system kind of sucks between Seattle and the eastside during off-peak hours.  Understand my hesitation now?

Then something special happened.  I entered and got selected to be the participant of the Zipcar Low-Car Diet Seattle!!  It means that I agree to give up driving my car for a month starting September 14th.  I will either walk, bike, use public transportation, carpool or use a Zipcar if I absolutely need to drive to get to places.

Excited?  Yes.  Anxious?  Oh Yes.