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You can point to a few different things and say they’re instrumental in dictating how you live your life. For instance, you might take up a hobby and notice it influences your general lifestyle. You may also say that what you do for work impacts it.
However, the transportation options you choose dictate your lifestyle as well. In this article, we’ll talk about a few of them. How you choose to get around tells people a lot about you and your priorities.
Owning a Car
If you own a car, that will certainly impact your lifestyle. Some people don’t like car ownership or driving. If they are not confident drivers, they might fear get into a wreck every time they leave the house in the morning. They may spend time thinking about the first steps to take following a car accident rather than enjoying the morning commute.
Owning a car does give you a great deal of flexibility, though. You can drive it to and from work, assuming you have a job outside the home. That means you can sleep in longer and leave for work later than you probably could if you took public transportation like a train or bus.
If you own a car, you can also factor in some additional convenience that this transportation method affords you. You can go pick up some groceries any time you like. You can purchase bulk items at Costco.
You might take your car to a drive-in movie if there is one nearby. You can drive to a bowling alley or golf course if you feel like some recreation.
You can also take off and drive to another state or across the country if you ever feel the urge. Having that sense of freedom might feel good. Many people like owning a car because of all these reasons.
Owning a Sport Utility Vehicle or Truck
Maybe you’d prefer to own a truck or sport utility vehicle. These larger vehicles might give you a different feeling when you’re rolling down the road in one. You’re up higher than the other cars. You may feel like royalty looking down on them.
You can also use a truck for work if you’re so inclined. You might use the cargo space in your truck when loading up construction equipment to haul to a job site.
You can use your truck or SUV to go off-roading if you like. You can tackle a rugged mountain range if you live in a part of the country where there’s one nearby. There is something satisfying about bouncing over uneven paths and rolling through shallow watercourses that some people enjoy very much.
Of course, there is often additional expense that goes with these vehicles. They don’t generally get very good gas mileage, and they also cost more than the average family sedan.
Taking the Bus or Train
Maybe you feel like you don’t want to own a car. If you’re not a confident driver or you never got your license for some other reason, then you must probably take public transportation if you’re headed to work outside the home.
Most large cities have plenty of buses, and some, like Chicago or New York, have trains as well. If you take the train or bus to work, you will usually get up earlier than you would if you drove to work instead.
You might not like public transportation very much. Sometimes, during rush hour, you may have to squeeze in with many other people, like sardines in a can. If you’re claustrophobic, you probably won’t enjoy that too much. Also, you never know when the person next to you might start ranting about the latest conspiracy theory.
On the positive side, if you take public transportation, you can do things like stop at your favorite watering hole after work for happy hour. If you’re over the legal limit when you leave, you don’t have to worry about failing a breathalyzer or hurting someone by driving.
Owning a Motorcycle
If you own a motorcycle, that can certainly dictate your lifestyle if you let it. Some individuals buy motorcycles not just for transportation but also as a hobby.
You can meet like-minded people and go out riding with them. You can take day trips on the weekend to national parks, or maybe you’ll just ride in the summer or autumn with no destination in mind.
To ride down the road on a Harley with the wind streaking past you can improve your mood tremendously. You can let your motorcycle change your entire personality if you like. Maybe you’ll get a leather jacket and some tattoos to announce to the world that you’re rebelling against societal conventions.
Owning a Bike
If you own a bike, you might ride it during the morning commute if you don’t work far from home. If your commute takes more than a few minutes, you may only ride your bike for exercise or recreation on the weekends.
Bike riding burns calories and works out several muscle groups. You might like it for that reason if you’re trying to get in better shape or to retain your current level of fitness.
You can also make some new friends by biking, just like if you own a motorcycle. The people you meet may look a little different, but they will have similar passion. You can also go out riding with your family members if they buy bikes as well. You can reconnect with your spouse or kids this way.
Walking
Walking limits you in some ways. For instance, you probably can’t walk to work unless you live very close by. While walking does give you some exercise, you might also get up some days and feel tired or sore. In those moments, you may wish you had a car or some other transportation method.
Consider the lifestyle implications when you decide what vehicle or transportation option makes the most sense for you.
