no car, one month, two kids

Steve Bean pointed us a mother's trials in giving up her car for a month. She talks about all the struggles and hardship she encountered in fulfilling her commitment to go carfree for a month. It's a little depressing to read about her feelings of exclusion from suburban society, her guilt over bringing a stroller on the bus, her frustrations with scheduling trips, and her sticker-shock when shopping local vs. Walmart. Frankly, it may be enough to make you abandon the whole carfree idea. It is more of a confession than a how-to manual.

However, we like the write-up for its honesty. She doesn't sugar-coat carfree life or linger on the financial benefits or earth-saving virtues of not driving. She probably didn't make all the best decisions in her effort, and that is why this is a good read for those considering becoming a carfree family.

While reading, it might help to ponder a couple questions:
To what extent does she switch over to a carfree lifestyle, and to what extent does she try to continue her previous lifestyle without a car?
To what extents do her complaints reflect her concern over other peoples' perception of her, and of her perceptions of them?
What might have made this experiment easier for her?

Update: you can read a more detailed account of these trials at the author's blog