A wheel challenge

One of the most unexpected difficulties about going to school here has been my relative isolation. You see, I don't own a car — can't afford one, basically — and stay in a home a good 20 minutes' drive from the closest decent-sized town. This makes my home visits (not to mention social calls) just a tad frustrating and complicated.

Now, I thought biking might work for warmer times of year, but at 90 minutes one way to school, that makes it about 30 minutes over my limit.

So, call me naive, but I didn't expect people to live so far apart out here, but it seems that's the norm in the country. I know people enjoy their space, but really! Basically, everyone drives in the country, making me an anomaly. (What did people do before cars? What will they do should skyrocketing gas prices put us back to pre-car days?)

Adding to my challenges, the hugeness of the Saddle Lake reserve. Since a lot of the fluent speakers we're hoping to draw on live there — and not all in one place — it just makes things that much harder. Biking is not really a go here either, since it's about as far as Blue Quills school, only in the other direction.

All I can say is, I'll never take public transit for granted again.

ekosi,
Rick