Through a somewhat
forced experiment due to working out of town, I am rediscovering the
minimum possessions needed to maintain my quality of life
expectations. I’ve said before that my dog and bikes are
non-negotiable, and that holds true. For the first month, Lucy and
the mountain bike stayed home. After nearly seven years of hearing
the pitter-patter of little paws following me around the house, it
was unnaturally quiet without Lucy. When I accidentally dropped food,
I still expected her to immediately come running over. There was a
distinct emptiness.
As for the bikes, I
did have my road bike to begin with. Initially I had concerns about
traveling to other locations, having to rent a car, and/or possibly
flying home and thought one bike would be easier to manage. I wasn’t
sure if there would be trails nearby or the condition of the trails
if there were some, but there are always rural roads to be found.
While there is a kind of romantic notion to having only one bike that
gets ridden everywhere, it’s just not practical for the bike
enthusiast. I
might
could do it with the right
bike, but that is certainly not a road bike. Mountain biking is my
source of stress relief, and road riding is a poor substitute,
largely due to those pesky cars but also because being surrounded by green trees and dirt brings out a primal inner peace. So after two months, I decided it
was worth the hassle to retrieve my mountain bike (along with my car
and cold weather clothes).
I
didn’t
really miss my car, but with a dog and two bikes, it makes getting
around a bit easier. Renting a car can be a hassle and expensive,
depending on how far you’re driving. I do have access to a company
truck for short trips around town. But to be car-free, or at least
car-independent, a third commuter bike (with fenders) would be
necessary. So for the bike enthusiast, there is a minimum of three
bikes to cover all the bases, and while additional bikes are fun,
they can only offer quickly diminishing returns.
My
wardrobe was even more sparse than usual to begin with: two
cycling kits, one
pair of jeans, one pair of khakis, two pairs of shorts, a handful of
t-shirts, interview attire (shirt, tie, jacket, shoes), nano-puff
jacket, rain jacket, plus work pants/shirts and socks and underwear
of course. I’ve since added cold weather cycling gear, base layers,
two jackets, pajama pants, and slippers. I don’t see a need for
much more than this, though my jeans recently developed holes in both
knees and finally the crotch and have since been thrown away.
In
the kitchen, all the basics were furnished, but I brought my
cast-iron skillet, knife, and cutting board. Initially my coffee
setup consisted of an Aeropress and a small pot for boiling water –
which routinely spilled while pouring.
So
after my first trip home, I brought back my French press and grinder
and recently acquired an electric kettle because
the two pots shared with roommates where not always available.
We’ve
also been without TV and mostly without Internet. I don’t really
miss TV, but Internet is nice, especially since I need to keep
applying to jobs. I’m still looking for a solution – traditional
providers seem expensive and require lengthy contracts. I think
coffee shops, libraries, and tethering to my phone are the way to go.
Maybe limited access will keep me from wasting time when I could be
reading or studying for the FE. Plus it's nice to get out of the house.
I
think I currently have all I need, though I’ve been eyeing a set of
rollers to keep me pedaling through these winter months (I’m now
working all daylight hours). Night riding might be feasible for a couple more weeks, but it'll soon be bitterly cold. I’m hesitant to acquire more stuff
since it all needs to fit in my car, but I think rollers would be a
worthwhile investment.
