Over the years, I’ve realized that:
I don’t enjoy driving.
I don’t like sharing the roads with dangerous drivers (especially in my area with frequent accidents).
I don’t like the costs and financial burdens associated with owning a car.
Groceries and appointments seem to be my only reason for needing a car, but I feel like I can find ways around these with proper location and route planning. Right now, I currently live in the suburbs where it’s basically essential to own a car.
I’m looking for a way where I can live a life without the need for a car. It seems that by re-locating to a country with a superior transit system, it could be an option. Is this possible or am I being unrealistic? What am I missing?
How big or important of a factor was this for you when going nomad? How does it impact you?
Car free is a massive QoL downgrade personally. Wasting time waiting for pub transport, inefficient routes. And all the smokers and crazy people
Yeah. Huge boost to QOL. Also makes dense cities more fun, rather than even worse
I’m not a nomad, but I don’t like driving either. Luckily I live in The Netherlands, you absolutely do not need a car here. Lots of bicycle roads and good public transport.
I fucking hate driving. Hate cars. Americans are soooooooo into their cars.
But its been easy to make my life fairly car free in the US.
Issues come with things like hauling the dogs around. You can take your dog in the train in France. No american transport system allows this unless it’s a “service dog”. I don’t find 99,9% of cities in the US totally car free-even the ones that say they are green like Boulder or Denver.I absolutely love driving and cars. But I refuse to drive these days. I grew up in the suburbs too and my family and friends can’t imagine life without a car. Meanwhile, my life in Colombia, Thailand, and Serbia was infinitely better using public transit and walking from place to place.
American cities are planned terribly to the point where well-planned cities are looked down upon by most Americans - because car-centric city planning is our norm. I didn’t even consider car ownership when going abroad, but after living without a car for 2.5 years, I don’t see a reason to ever own one again.
I live in a major European city. I sold my car a few months ago. I’m now car free and walking everywhere/taking Uber/using the Metro. It’s great. I don’t enjoy driving either.
I totally understand this. Having lived and worked in a place with lots of snow, ice, and distracted drivers makes for a miserable commute half the year.
For me that’s one of the main reasons. I don’t like driving, it’s too stressful and walking is much healthier/calming.
Yes, we like to stay in an area where we can walk mostly. When we need a ride indriver or grab is available and affordable.
Yes. Being car-free has drastically reduced my level of daily stress.
I’m in the exact same boat. Hate the thought of even owning one right now. Moving to Seattle next spring to continue my life without one
Contemplating this currently. My car was a victim of the Kia boyz recently, luckily wasn’t stolen since I got the software update but badly damaged. Thinking just getting rid of it would be the best option atm since I’m don’t even need it for work
Unironically, if I could live closer to home without car dependence, my chances of moving back would skyrocket. Cars are a huge sink of money and time and they just make it unpleasant to live in urban areas. I like going in cars sometimes, and it’s great to have one available for a long trip, but when you can’t walk or take public transport to the grocery store, print shop, repair shop, gym, etc., it nukes your quality of life and makes it impossible just to get things done.
It’s a huge plus for me. I love not owning a car so much.
Yes. It’s originally why I moved to NYC, but it’s so expensive that I now travel as much as possible to save money.