Day 314: Biking: The Cure for “Academic Transformations”

“Tis the season to tune up the bikes and hit the rail trail.

Honestly, I’m not usually a big biking buff. I’m not too interested in gear so I’d typically rather just run or walk. But we do have a great rail-trail system all around Morgantown, so last week I finally changed an end-of-season flat (well, okay, I talked Gary into doing it for me) and rode over to meet a friend for lunch along the trail.

It. Was. Heaven.

Since then, I’ve biked to work twice, just to listen to the birds I can’t name, soak up the soothing green of the trees, feel the light and energy of gliding along the paved trail.

Mr. Money Mustache

For years, I thought I had no choice but to drive everywhere. I didn’t think twice about it: I went out and ran seven miles every morning, then got in the car and drove three miles to the law school.

What changed my mind was money.

During my last sabbatical, I spent a couple of months in Uganda. I stayed with friends and lived comfortably, but in Uganda, you don’t take anything for granted. Electricity, running water, food … You realize how precious every resource really is. In Uganda, you look for opportunities to avoid waste.

While I was there, a friend introduced me to my favorite blog of all time, Mr. Money Mustache. Through some simple math, MMM showed me that, if you can live on 30% of your income, you can retire in seven years, with enough to live on for the rest of your life. And he convinced me that most of us waste most of our income on things we don’t really value because we’re just not looking for opportunities.

So I went home. I thought about what I really value and what I don’t. I really value being active, and being outside. I don’t really value cars or driving. That’s not everyone, but that’ s me.

Hitting the Road

I experimented for four months. I let my car sit in the garage. I walked. I biked. I learned to navigate the Morgantown bus system (easier and more pleasant than I expected). I took Ubers when necessary and rented cars when I wanted to travel.

Eventually, I realized I really did have a choice. I sold my Subaru to my sister.

I saved a boatload of money, through that choice and others like it. I didn’t know how soon that would prove useful.

“Mustachianism”: The Cure for “Academic Transformations”

Photo by Philippe Oursel on Unsplash

When the “Academic Transformation” threatened our livelihoods, I had options. And options give you leverage.

Ultimately, I managed to work out some great reasons to stay. I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to do that if I hadn’t known I was free to leave.

Getting Back to the Mustache

In the last few years, I’ve become more focused on things besides my “mustachian” efforts. This summer, I’ve decided to recommit to using resources thoughtfully and saving money for more important uses. (One of my favorites is sending it to some bright kids in Uganda). So I’m dusting off the bike.

As I pedal along the rail-trail in the mornings, I feel how blessed I am with health, with resources, and with opportunities to use them wisely.

Where there’s a hill, there’s still a way

There are ways to do things like this that don’t mess up your day (or your hair).

I bike a short distance through my neighborhood to the rail trail, then a couple of miles to a place where I can lock up my bike outside a business (the owner knows me and recognizes my bike).

I walk up a hill that’s too steep to bike without requiring a shower and arrive at the office with makeup still intact. In my backpack I carry work clothes (in wrinkle-free fabrics), and I keep dress shoes and jackets in my office.

Faster than Clark Kent in a phone booth, I can transform into Professor Alison. And I start my day with the glow that comes from breathing fresh air, moving lightly, and being in nature.

Priceless.