As everyone knows, I drive to work every day. Three kilometers TO school and three kilometers BACK again. Now the good thing is that I don't use much gas and I don't put many miles...I mean, kilometers, on the car. However, I do live in a country where something like 90% of the people bike to school & work every day. Ok, not really 90%, but a HUGE AMOUNT of people do. I know this because I pass about 1000 of them every day as I drive my 6 km roundtrip. I think they are awesome and I bow to them (in my head) as I pass them, in the pouring rain, in the snow, in the cold, in the wind, and SOMETIMES in the sunshine. Mads and I do not discuss the option of my taking the bike to work on a regular basis (as he does) because he already knows what my response will be.... "A BIKE IS NOT TRANSPORTATION". I have not grown up riding a bike on a daily basis (as my husband has) or as transportation (as my husband has), and at the age of 41, I do not plan to take that lovely and healthy habit up as a daily routine. Call me lazy. Call me American. This is one point on which I am NOT bending...
However as we are in springtime and summer is not far off, I have decided that I will keep the OPTION of biking to work open. NOT in the rain, NOT in the snow, and NOT in the cold; however, I can handle the wind (to a certain point) and I can definitely handle the sunshine (well, as long as there is not a LOT of sweating involved). So I am giving myself the OPTION to bike those 6 km each day.
Then I had an idea to help myself be a bit more encouraged to actually DO it. You see, I have this beautiful bike that my Danish family bought for me when I moved to Denmark. (I just thought they were being sweet...had no clue they actually expected me to ride it regularly!!)
I must admit that she is quite a beauty!
Well, I thought about all those guys who name their cars (always after a girl's name!) and then they take care of them like they are their babies.... So I have officially named my bike. I did not check to see if this name is on the "Danish Registry's List of Acceptable Names" (yes, we DO have one of these lists for newborns), but since the only place I am "registering" her name is on this blog, I think I am safe.
So I would like to introduce
DAPHNE NØRGAARD.
She and I rode to school together one day last week and we both survived,
so we think that we might like to make that journey again in the very near future.
Maybe even THIS week.... or maybe NEXT. Let's not get TOOOOO crazy!
9 comments:
That is the funniest thing in the world, I have another friend who named her bike. She is a hard core biker though...and she has two bikes!!! Both named, they are like her kids and she talks about them on facebook, "going to take So and So out for some fresh air today..." I am like...O...K......I am with you about not biking under any weather condition but I do want to bike more myself. I was doing so well there for awhile and then had a week where I didn´t do anything and I have been struggling to get going again..ugh, will I ever learn?
When the weather is good- why not? You see so much more on a bike trip then going the same way with a car....so enjoy!!!
Daphne sure is a cutie pie! Cycling 3 km really is nothing once you get used to it. I used to walk that four times every day when the kids were in kindergarten... Nowadays, the school is just under 2 km away - an easy walk...
The more you cycle, the easier it will become... I promise!
LOL Awesome! And, in about 5 days, I will have a brand new bike so you'll have to help me name mine!
Patti, I will come with name suggestions tonight!! :-)
.....oh how I miss being able to bike around for everything....
Go and make that goodlooking Daphne useful;o)
I have a Westfalia (VW) camper and my cousin named her Cooper Penny. That's her color. Actually have a pic of her on my blog. Loved your post. I want a little "boat bike". They fold and it would fit in my van. I live only 6 blocks from downtown and there is 2 blocks of horrible course gravel with no sidewalk to get to a place it safe to bike! America has a long way to go. Love the example you are setting even if you only bike the first day of every month.
This is so funny! My bf is also trying to encourage me to start biking to school, and I have argued that I am afraid to bike in traffic, and where I come from, we stop riding bikes after elementary school. Much like you, I have agreed to do it similar conditions: supreme weather conditions, and minimal sweating! I hope you and Daphne have a good week!
I read your story and thought it was so much fun because I also got a bike from my boyfriend when I first moved to Denmark! She came actually with the name writen, Julliet, and I'm trying to go as often as possible to the danish school in it... but it's true that the weather doesn't always help! but i'm hoping for a good summer at least!
A true Dane you're becoming! I LOVE it.
Post a Comment