Public transport & freedom

I am still involuntarily car-less, but the experiment of  managing without a car is going well so far.  Today, I had to get into town in the middle of the day for a dentist's appointment. For the first time I ever, I took the bus from my village; it was on time, quick, and only slightly more expensive than I had expected.  (My ideas of what buses should cost are somewhat late 1990s...)  I had to get the bus rather early, because of the limited bus timetable, but spent a contented hour in a coffee shop in town, getting quite a bit of work done, and also did some useful errands. Rather than wait for the bus home, which would have involved another two hours out, and would have definitely meant buying lunch, I took a taxi, which was cheaper than expected, and speedy to arrive. 

Somewhat to my surprise, far from feeling restricted by my lack of independent transportation, I felt unexpectedly free, not having to drive, or worry about finding a car parking space or being stuck in traffic.  It was also rather refreshing being early for my appointment, rather than trying to 'efficiently' time my arrival so as to be just on time, as I would probably have done if driving.  I am sure that once I have done this trip a few times, the novelty will wear off, but so far, so good.