I’ve never been without a car since I was 16 years old. Living without my own form of transportation was unthinkable; driving represented freedom and independence. A transportation snob through and through, I experienced public transit when necessary but never by choice. I’ve always been happiest behind the wheel, whether for a short drive or for a marathon road trip.
Then I moved to Portugal. Sem rodas. And I’ve been without my own form of transportation ever since. I’ve learned to live without the convenience of my own wheels, to rely on others for rides, to experience immobilization and to genuinely appreciate the freedom I no longer had.
Citroën Love
After months of research I learned about the outrageously slow rate of depreciation and unfairly sky-high import duty for automobiles in Portugal. I made spreadsheets and charts and finally, after excruciating analysis and indecision, I did it. Earlier this week I brought home my new (to me) car. It is tiny, unglamorous, overpriced and even a little bit ugly.
I’ve never loved a car quite so much.
.
PS: Muito obrigada to Penfold, daisyfae, Alice, Jen, djbeat, and KPX for their comments on Blue Monday 2010.
Do you do anything without analysing it on a spreadsheet first? …… tee hee
Anyhoo, this is marvellous news ….. very useful for picking people up at the airport for instance ……..
I only just started making dinner without a spreadsheet …
I hope it wasn’t a disaster …….
ah sweet – a lemon : )
Now I just need to find the perfect limão outfit … x
Oh brill you have joined the Citroen gang … love mine, he is called Charlie & bought him from new 7 years ago and has never let me down
Ooh, I get to be in a gang! Still need to give mine a name, Papersurfer Jr. suggested the name “Trevor” …
wheels! i lived without a car in washington, dc (on a metro line) for 3 months… before i went whack and realized i wanted my wheels… congratulations!
Yup, a few months of public transit will cure any thoughts of living without wheels. Thankfully, I stopped just short of going whack …
Neep neep… x
My car is shinier than your car … xxx
ah wheels – definitely = freedom …. where is your first road trip to? congratulations!!
Maiden voyage was a quick trip to Arganil on market day – fantástico!
After using public transport for the past year I’m now back in my car as the new office is off the beaten track. It’s an old Honda 4×4 I call Bertha, she is by no means glam and that is exactly what I need as she is parked on the road outside the office, so hopefully none of my morally challenged bods will be interested in her.
Bertha sounds perfect. I’ve been a bit naive but I was surprised to discover that the morally challenged exist here, too.
It’s funny how this ideal of the honest peasant persists. I wonder if there ever was such a creature?
Judging from the rash of robberies in the area lately, I have my doubts this creature ever existed …
I’m beginning to wonder if I’m writing this blog in my sleep; it’s my funkier more beautiful surfie-lovin knitting alter-ego… Only 3 weeks without a phone? Come on! Try a year… although I wouldn’t try it again myself… and going without a car, well, I can see you have some serious stamina. Or you’re mad. I think I’d prefer to go without legs for a while than without my ugliest-fur-covered-filthy-and-needing-wheel-balance beloved. Apparently, on your blue monday, it snowed 15 cm in my village! But I’m houseminding in the warmer climes of tomar so I missed it.
Ah, this country does teach you patience, não? We waited 4 months for our phone to be installed, this 3-week glitch was just a minor hiccup! Strangely, I just finished reading your blog, I can’t tell you how many discussions we’ve had about windows. And still continue to have. No matter what you decide, your windows are going to be GORGEOUS! But the make-up brushes … how could you?!
Hello,
Last year bab.la and our blog Lexiophiles launched the Top 100 International Exchange and Experience Blogs 2009. It was rewarding and we really enjoyed bringing the exchange blogger community together, and here we go again:
It’s time for The Top 100 International Exchange and Experience Blogs 2010, also known as IX10.
We are looking for the top 100 blogs about life abroad and your blog has been nominated. The nomination period goes from January 22nd to January 31st. Feel free to spread the word among bloggers writing about life in a foreign country.
The voting starts on February 1st and goes till February 14st 2010. At the end of the two-week voting period, the blogs with the most votes will win.
If you want to read more about IX10 visit Lexiophiles (http://www.lexiophiles.com/featured-article/the-top-100-international-exchange-and-experience-blogs-2010).
Send me an email in case you don’t want to be included in this list or if you have any further questions about the competition.
Kind regards,
Priscila
On behalf of the bab.la and Lexiophiles team
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