Over the last year, I’ve been interviewing amazing writers about simple living, location independence, financial freedom, and more. Today the feature interview is with Angela and Dorea of Car-free with Kids.

Enjoy the interview peeps!

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Tammy: Angela and Dorea, going car-free was a big decision. What inspired you to take the leap and go for it?

Angela and Dorea: Way back in 2004, before we had a kid, when we were free and easy grad students, we house sat for a professor in the suburbs for a summer. That summer our little pick-up truck died. It was an adorable 1987 Mazda and had taken us on many wonderful adventures. When the truck stopped working we felt a little sad, but mostly we felt relief.

We already used our bikes and public transit when we were living closer into the city. That was trickier in the suburbs, but we did it. We were each riding about 50 minutes each way to work, and groceries were a bit of a trick, but we did it, and we figured if we could do it in Newton, it would be a piece of cake once we moved back into town. We never looked back.

It’s not all that strange here to live without a car when you don’t have kids, but once we were expecting our daughter, the questions started. “When are you going to get a car?” Our answer was “We aren’t.” We saw the doubting looks and heard the knowing assurances we’d change our minds, but we stuck it out, and now can’t imagine living any other way.

Tammy: What type of bike do you ride? Do you have special seats for the little ones?

Angela and Dorea: We ride several bikes. Dorea has an old beater road bike for commuting and Angela has a similar quality mountain bike for commuting. Angela’s bike is also set up both with a single rear mounted child seat (a bobike maxi), a trailer hitch for a trailer (an older Chariot model) that we share with a neighbor, and that got us started hauling our own groceries by bike. But for riding with kids, we have an Xtracycle with a custom two-kid seat on the back.

We can’t imagine life without it. To be honest, it gets more use for hauling (mostly groceries) than for kids (everywhere we really need to go with them is walkable). But it’s great for the kids, and a lifesaver for one parent to be able to ride with both of them.

You can find more details on our set-up here and here.

Tammy: Do you have any advice for parents who want to use a bicycle instead of a car?

Angela and Dorea: It can be easy to get sidetracked by all the fancy bikes out there, but consider starting with what you have, and seeing how far that can take you. Common gear for biking with children, like trailers, trailer bikes and bike mounted rear child seats, are easy to get for cheap or free in the secondhand market.

You might even have them in your basement already for recreational riding (or your neighbor might). As you bike more you’ll see what your needs really are, and can reassess at the next stage. Also, if biking with your kids seems daunting, we find good cargo capacity is actually more important, and that same second hand trailer can work great to haul groceries.

For us, transit is at least as important as biking, especially with the kids, and especially in winter. If you’ve heard the buses or trains are awful where you live, check out what’s really offered. Even in areas with minimal transit, what’s there is usually tailored to support commuters. Such a route, especially in combination with a bicycle commute can help a two-car family cut down to one. Even a slow or infrequent bus can be great back up for days you can’t ride.

For more advice, You can find a two part series here, as well as an article we wrote at Shareable.

Tammy: What are the 5 things you love about being car-free with kids?

Angela and Dorea:

1. Knowing all of our neighbors.
2. Never having to shovel out a car
3. Riding to a park on a nice summer day with the kids, everyone singing “Yellow Submarine.”
4. Financial freedom
5. Getting plenty of exercise without even trying

Tammy: What’s one thing you wish people understood better about the way you live?

Angela and Dorea: Occasionally, we worry that people get the wrong idea about us. Some folks think we are environmental extremists, going to absurd lengths for our car-free cause. But as working parents of a four-year-old and one-year-old, we don’t tend to take on a lot of extra tasks. It’s really all we can really do to keep our laundry moving along, the dishes washed, and food in the pantry.

We don’t do stuff that’s hard. But for us, being carfree is actually much easier than having a car. We see our lives as easy, and the lives of car-owners as impossibly difficult. We love the environmental benefits and certainly wish more people made the same choice. But if that was our primary motivation, we would have given up long ago.

Tammy: Thanks Angela and Dorea!

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For more resources on biking with kids, check out Clever Cycles.

Note: Photo via Clever Chimp

Over the weekend, we pedaled up to Stub Stewart State Park with some very cool Northwest folks, including The Path Less Pedaled and Swift Industries.

I didn’t bring my computer or write in my journal on our mini-adventure. I just let go. I let work go. I let my worries about writing go. And slowly but surely Radio Station KFKD stopped streaming.

Usually on the weekends, I take a digital sabbatical. However, I still use my computer for writing. Last weekend, I desperately needed a few days off. I craved a break from the glow of my computer screen and the city.

I love what I do, but it’s important to take time out to recharge the creative juices. Otherwise you start running dry. And last week, I felt like all my creative energy had been sucked out of my body.

And what’s funny is, I almost stayed home because I felt like I “should” be writing and responding to the flood of emails I received last week. I almost missed out on my real life.

That made me wonder, how many of us are missing out on real life because we have our priorities misaligned?

By “real life”, I mean living a conscious life. A life that is focused on connecting with others. Not a life that’s focused on the “should’s” or a life that’s spent in front of the computer screen or with our own unrealistic expectations. Instead, real life is about spending quality time with others and being helpful. To do that you have to take risks and you have to be a little vulnerable.

For those of us who have introverted tendencies, that can be really hard. Sometimes it’s easier to stay home and spend an hour (or more) on social networks, instead of engaging with friends. The problem is, real life doesn’t happen on Twitter, Facebook, or blogs. Sure, they are fantastic tools to share stories, but you have to get out into the world and live your own story.

So what’s real life?

• Real life is shivering by the campfire, eating marsh-mellows and drinking beer.

• Real life is saying thank you to your spouse for cooking up dinner on the camp stove.

• Real life is feeling your legs burn, as you pedal your bike slowly, up a very big hill.

• Real life is all about opening yourself up and being vulnerable.

Over the next year, I want to cultivate more of these experiences in my real life. I’ll still be writing and blogging, but I’ll probably be spending less time online.

Micro-action: Evaluate the amount of time you spend on screens, including your TV, cell-phone and the Internet. How can you cut back on your screen time and start connecting with friends, family, and community?

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Sitting still or being silent is often frowned upon. American’s are taught to always be busy, to be doing something. As a result, I don’t think people deal with their feelings in healthy ways, especially when it comes to loneliness. Rather than dealing with the cause of a feeling we distract ourselves by running out to the store to buy something, turning on the TV, or drinking alcohol. It temporarily eases discomfort, but doesn’t deal with the underlying issue.

Humans are social animals. We crave connection and companionship. It’s natural and important. I think blogs and social media platforms foster amazing connections. However, I don’t think these tools replace face-to-face communication. Meeting a friend for a coffee date is a much different experience than talking on facebook or twitter. Although the internet has connected many of us together, are we really connecting or are we becoming more lonely?

Below are 8 simple tips to help you overcome loneliness. The tips will force you to get out from behind your computer screen.

1. Go ride your bike.

As you know I’m a huge fan of riding my bike. It’s relaxing, fun, and a great way to see your surroundings. For example, on Friday night I’m attending an Art by Bike tour in Portland. I’ve gone on art walks before, but an art by bike tour will be completely different and fun!

Micro-action: Plan a fun biking adventure with friends or family. For example, go on an art by bike tour, picnic in the park or take a tour of your local coffee shops.

2. Write in your journal.

Writing is a powerful tool. It can help you identify many different types of feelings, including loneliness. If you’re feeling lonely, start writing. Get your emotions out on paper and start asking yourself how you can create a feeling of connection in your life. Focus on the important.

Micro-action: If you don’t have a journal, I highly recommend purchasing one. Use it to write down your ideas, feelings and action items to foster reflection and make your life better.

3. Cook a real meal.

Cooking a good meal can be a meditative experience. It’s a great opportunity to mull over thoughts and lose yourself in a recipe. Cooking a real meal is also a perfect excuse to find a dinner date. I don’t know about you, but I feel lonely when I eat alone. Making dinner for a friend or loved on is the perfect way to create a meaningful connection.

In addition, Michael Pollan talks about the importance of NOT eating alone. Eating with a friend is more fun. You’re more likely to eat slower and less.

Micro-action: Do you cook real meals regularly? If not, make that part of your routine. If you’re looking for simple and easy recipes subscribe to Stone Soup: Minimalist Home Cooking.

4. Take photographs.

Taking photos is a way to notice the details of life. Whenever I walk around with my camera and take photos I get into a zone. I notice the little things, like the morning dew on flowers or a beautiful sunset. For some reason this makes me feel less alone. The world is alive with beauty and has so much to offer. We just have to slow down long enough to notice.

Micro-action: If you own a camera, take it everywhere and start taking photos. If you don’t own a camera try sketching in your journal.

5. Connect with your community.

There are so many ways you can connect with your community, from volunteering to attending city meetings. A few nights ago I attended a city budget forum. I was hesitant to attend, but I’m glad I did. I met some amazing community activists, I met the mayor and learned a great deal about the Portland community.

Micro-action: What are you doing in your community to make the world a better place? Do you sit on committees, volunteer at local organizations or mentor youth?

6. Read a good book.

Go to your library and pick up a good book. Reading is a great way to escape into another world or glean creative ideas for your latest project. I spend a lot of time in libraries and books stores. It’s a frugal way to educate yourself, be inspired and a healthy way to use your time.

Micro-action: If you don’t have a library card, go get one and start reading. Make a personal goal to read a book a week. If reading a book a week seems too overwhelming, try reading one book per month.

7. Be still and do nothing.

Supposedly being “busy” is a sign of success in this culture. I’m not sure that’s true. Why are we all in such a hurry? Do we really create beautiful art if we we’re rushing from place to place? And if everyone is so busy, how do we create meaningful connections with others?

Slow down, take your time and start to take your time. Rushing from place to place can be counterproductive. Being busy can sometimes erode our sense of purpose causing us to feel undervalued and lonely.

Micro-actions: Set aside 10 minutes a day for meditation. If you have over-committed yourself to meetings or projects, consider re-prioritizing what’s important to you.

8. Set-up a coffee or tea date with a friend.

I have to admit that I’ve been a little lonely the last month. It’s weird not having Logan in Portland and I miss him. At the same time being by myself has forced me out of my comfort zone and that’s a good thing. It also makes me appreciate Logan and my friends even more.

Since I’m by myself, I’ve been getting together with new friends for coffee and dinner dates. It’s been a great way to connect with others and get out of my apartment. Plus, I’m seeing more of Portland.

Micro-action: Call a friend and schedule a coffee or dinner date.

Leave a comment and tell me how do you deal with loneliness.

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