Learning To Be An Urbanite

Recently we spent a week in Charleston, South Carolina for a long awaited vacation. We flew rather than drove which precipitated a lot of walking.

King & Market, Charleston, SC
 

Walking was all part of the plan ... walk and get a better feel for the city ... walk and get exercise while vacating ... walk and don't worry about eating too much!

INSPIRATION. So, I came home inspired to walk and bike more. After all, that was one of the reasons we moved to West Ghent. It's better for the environment, better for roads already overloaded with cars, better for my health and physical condition.

So, I resolved to pretend I don't have a car when I need to do errands in town (grocery, pharmacy, library, produce market, restaurants and coffee shops and other shopping).

I do have a choice. I can walk or I can bike. That helps.

I realized that either option required planning. Where to start? Seriously, I've never done this before.

Hampton Boulevard - Yes, I have to cross this street.

IMPLEMENTATION. So, on day one I planned to ride my bike to the produce market, drop those things at home then, go back to the grocery store for the other items on the list. Simple enough:

• come up with a route (avoid traffic, avoid sketchy city blocks, cross at stop lights)
• figure out how to transport my purchases back home
• determine time needed
• Go!

NOT SO SIMPLE. I ended up taking a very circuitous route that avoided the scary traffic. It took me too far West and too far north. But I finally reached Westside Produce on Colley Avenue.

IT WAS MONDAY. IT WAS CLOSED.

Not a good start. Ugh. I continued ... back down Colley Avenue (at least I was headed toward home at this point) to the grocery store.

ENTER THE RAIN. RAIN WASN'T PART OF THE PLAN. Why?

To end this story, I pushed on, got a bag full of groceries (a small portion of my list) and I made it back home only a little soggy.

RESULTS:

• Trip took almost an hour - need to lengthen time allotment
• The store was closed - need to check days and hours of operation before I go
• It rained - duh!
• I was only able to get one bag of stuff - need additional carry options
• Water bottle spilled and nearly ruined my grocery list - another duh!
• I failed on part two of the day's plan.

I later drove to the grocery store. Well, it continued to rain and we were desperate for groceries after being on vacation. I know ... excuses, excuses!

By-the-way, the rain began on Monday and it rained for seven days in a row.

What do people do when it rains??? I have definitely lived in the suburbs too long!