Meet Audrey

Audrey is my Batavus Old Dutch and she’s been my main way of getting around since last July.

It’s on her cargo rack that I pedaled home my secondhand dining chairs one by one.  Pretty much everything I’ve bought in the past year has been carried home on her.

I adore Audrey, but this weekend, my 2+ years of carless living are coming to an end.  It’s such a relief!  Regardless of whatever romantic notions are out there, public transportation in much of Europe is neither cheap nor convenient.

As an American who’s been driving since a month past my 16th birthday, I’m impressed that I’ve made it this long without a car; most bets were on less than 6 months ;-) 

I never again have to walk 20 minutes to the bus stop with my luggage to catch a flight, then wait 2 hours on my return for the next bus.  I won’t flip my rear basket as I’m riding home on ice with 15 kilos of cat litter.  I don’t have to worry about how I’ll get Opie to the vet if he’s sick, and I won’t have to ride my bike across town to the doctor if I’m sick. There will be no more last minute scrambling due to carpool cancellations, and I won’t have to wait outside for an hour in freezing February because the bus came early and I missed it.  Pouring rain or lack of decent public transportation are no longer reasons to skip things I’d really like to do, and I can finally take advantage of those lovely Groupon spa deals that are always out of biking range!

I’ve struggled with the process of getting a license, with paying Danish prices for a car, and with stepping even further into life here, but I’m very happy to see this phase of my life come to an end.  I’ve made the best choice for me now.

So, which car did I choose?  I’ll post photos this weekend…