Journal Prompt – Take me for a ride!

In Childhood Memories, Life.In.Lists. by Tami Potter

 

How did you travel when you were a kid?

 

When I was a kid I had to walk up hill both ways to get to school!

For some this is a funny proclamation made by their grandfather. I tell this to my kids to be funny and the really funny part is, it was true! (When I was 11, I lived on a hill, I had to walk down our hill and back up another to get to the bus stop about a half mile away.)

Things I remember about travel as kid…

1. I did a lot of walking. When I was age 4 – 9 I lived in the city and traveled by foot almost everywhere.

2. When it was too far to walk, my siblings and I rode the city bus.

3. When my parents drove, I traveled in the “way back” of a green Chevy station wagon. It looked a lot like this one:

Screen shot 2012-01-25 at 6.33.24 PM
image source -jalopnik.com

3. The first time I rode a school bus was for a field trip – on a tour of the city. (In the middle of 4th grade we moved to a rural location. I had to ride a bus to school everyday – I didn’t like it.)

4. It was very exciting to ride (usually just around the block) on the back of my brother’s Kawasaki motorcycle. (No helmet.)

5. I rode an elephant at the zoo once.

6. My first train ride was also at the zoo.

7. For recreation my family purchased a boat. I got to ride in it occasionally; but, I spent most of the outings on the shore, watching my older siblings ski.

8. I didn’t own a bicycle; but, my best friend was a twin so I borrowed her sister’s bike a lot.
9. There are lots of sidewalks in the city so, I also borrowed her pair of roller skates.
10. I never rode in an airplane as a child.