Living without a car is unfathomable for most Americans. To get from home to school or work and back again, a car seems essential. Unless you’re living in a big city, the thought of using public transportation seems scary. Many American cities are so spread out that getting from one end of the city limits to the other would take nearly a day on foot and half a day on bike.

I remember my dependence on my trusty Honda Civic very well. I owned a bicycle that rarely got used for anything more than a leisure ride on the occasional Sunday afternoon. When I lived downtown for a period of time, I did my fair share of walking to reach the bars and restaurants around my apartment, but I still used my car everyday to make a four-mile round trip journey to and from work.

Now that I have left the States to live and work in suburban Japan, I can’t imagine driving a car everyday and everywhere. I know what most of you are thinking: “Japan is full of big cities where everything is crammed so close together, you need only walk a few blocks to find just about everything.” While that may be true in Tokyo, Nagaoka is no metropolis. In fact, the smallish town where I live is very similar to my last place of residence, Springfield, Missouri. Nagaoka also has its version of “downtown,” but most of the city is residential with the occasional business or restaurant thrown in here and there.

While we do have an excellent rail system that gets you anywhere outside of Nagaoka provided you’ve done your research and made it to the station in time for the next train, there’s no subway system inside of Nagaoka. I occasionally take the bus, but to do so, I must give myself at least 30 minutes of extra travel-time since the buses don’t always come frequently and the bus stops aren’t always in the most convenient places.

I have discovered that the easiest and most reliable mode of transportation in the suburbs is cycling. I love my bike. It gets me from point A to point B quickly enough, but I feel a sense of accomplishment once I’ve arrived, because I got myself there. Plus, nothing beats the thrill of coasting down a steep hill after struggling to get up it.

I still walk quite often, since most of the schools where I teach are outside of Nagaoka and sometimes nearly three miles from the train station. And if it’s raining, my bike stays at home and I leave extra time to wade through the streets on foot.

When I first got to Japan, I found myself annoyed at having to walk or bike everywhere. It took too long. It was either too hot or too cold. Eventually, though, I began truly enjoy these underused modes of transportation. As an environmentalist, it makes me feel a little less guilty about my addition of CO2 to the atmosphere. Now that I remember to dress in layers, I maintain a moderately comfortable temperature on my trips to and from wherever, and I find it interesting to see and feel the seasons change gradually. I feel more connected to the Earth and my local ecosystem. Biking and walking are great ways to add at least a slight bit of exercise to your daily routine. I feel much healthier since I began riding and walking everyday.

Being forced to slow down is what I like most about using my own human-power to get myself around town. Japan is a very busy society with people rushing around trying to be as efficient as possible, but here I am strolling down the street or riding leisurely through town. The little things you notice make life so much more interesting and personal. One of the tiny towns I work in has factories, rice fields, and little else. In almost anyone’s opinion, it’s a boring place. During one of my recent forty-five minute walks from the train station to the classroom, I noticed that it had become warm enough for the once sealed factories to open its windows, so I could peek inside and see that the workers were making wire baskets for grocery stores. I also passed a rice field that had been dry and dead the previous month, but was now filled with green shoots, an inch of water, and a trail of muddy footprints. These miniscule things made the town seem more alive and relatable than if I’d zoomed past in a car.

I’m no saint. I take the bus when it’s raining. I take the train almost every workday to get to towns outside of Nagaoka. But public transportation is a better alternative to driving your own car around all day. I can think of those late nights in the dead of winter when the thought of a half-hour walk in the snow was too exhausting, so I treated myself to the rare taxi. When I do splurge on a taxi or get a ride from a friend, it seems like a special treat and I treasure the convenience much more than I did when I drove a car daily.

Despite the time and effort it takes to make your way around the suburbs using just your bicycle or your legs, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Though it might seem daunting to put away your car, you can do it. Selling it tomorrow to the highest bidder is a bit extreme, but try going car-less for one day a week, and see how easy it is. Your body, mind, and environment will thank you for taking the time to slow down.