During our itineration we drove nearly 50,000 miles. We’d driven from Kansas City, MO to Savannah, GA and from Erie, PA to Orlando, FL. With all of that driving, I guess you could say that we had gotten used to living out of our car. It had driven us through the winter snow the spring floods and the summer heat. Needless to say, moving to Costa Rica and leaving our car behind has been quite a change of pace.
Instead of racking up miles behind the wheel, we’re logging kilometers with our feet. Instead of loading up the kids in the van to head to the store, we’re busy learning which buses will get us there. Instead of hopping into the car to get to service, we’re hailing a cab. Some days, things go smoothly: the bus is on time and there are seats available, the cabs are plentiful. Other days, like this past Friday, it’s a bit more difficult: the bus arrives off schedule and the seating is standing room only, the cabs are occupied.
On the positive side, however, the lack of a car is helping us work our way out of the sedentary lifestyle that itineration can impose. Also, the change to public transportation has pushed us into interactions we’d otherwise not have. Take our encounter with Jimmy, for example. Not only was I able to share the gospel in our 20 minute taxi ride with him, I was also able to introduce him to the pastor friend that we were visiting that evening, linking him with a Bible-believing congregation in his own section of the city.
So things have changed. Drive-thrus are no longer an option, and there’s not even one travel mug in my cabinet, but life does go on for us in Costa Rica, in some ways for the better.
