Live without a car??? This might seem like a radical idea, or even something inconceivable - that was certainly the case for me 2-1/2 years ago, before it just happened.

For 17 years I'd had a Honda Civic hatchback, which I always assumed I'd drive into the ground. It still had a good 100,000 miles to go, when I crashed it into the back of a van, which then hit another car. "Inattentive driving." My car was pretty banged up, and I was pretty shook up; I first decided not to repair it, and then, mostly out of fear, not to replace it.

From this inauspicious beginning, I started discovering the many wondrous benefits of being car-free. I'll outline several of them here:

- I am saving a bucket of money each year, not paying for car insurance, maintenance, repairs, gas, etc.

- I travel a lot by bus, which in Seattle is a darn good way to go. I get a lot more reading done, have conversations with people I wouldn't meet otherwise, encounter a wonderful cross-section of humanity, and feel more connected than when I drove around in my own little bubble.

- I bicycle and walk a lot more - getting fresh air and exercise.

-I do less running around. I don't go to as many events, and I consolidate my errands. Rather than depriving me, this has simplified my life.

- My stress level has gone down considerably. Driving in a city is stressful, and I don't miss it one bit.

- I can rent a car or call a cab when I need to, and still be way ahead financially (in 2-1/2 years, I have rented and cabbed 2x each)

- I have one less major Item to care for, clean, neglect, or lose things in!

- I am not contributing as much to global warming (though my occasional air travel still gives me plenty to carbon-offset)

- I am enjoying and engaging in my own neighborhood more. I am incredibly fortunate to live near a business district (I can walk to the post office, bank, grocery stores, library, restaurants, shops, health club, music venues, etc etc etc.) and I have gotten involved in a local organization that's committed to sustainability on a neighborhood level.

I am still amazed that I went from not even being willing to consider life without a car, to not ever wanting to have one again. The Prius used to be my dream car; now my car dream is about more people waking up to the car-free life. Who would have thunk it?