Life in a 5km Radius

A beautiful sunny morning rollerblade (for me) and bike ride (for Niko) took us past his grandparents' house on the way to the park to meet some friends.  Much to our surprise, Grandpa was working on the deck, cutting boards on the driving.  After a few minutes of chatting, we continued on our way, only to hear Tante Moni pulling up behind us.  We turned around and enjoyed a few more minutes of this family gathering of chance at 9:30am in the sunshine.

This is just one of the many reasons we live where we do.  It's not that I think our area of the city is so much superior to other areas.  It's not that it's where I grew up.  It's not that it's all I really know.  At least, it's not just those things.  It's that this is the only place we can live this kind of simple life.

This is where we can drop in on our parents, siblings, and grandparents with no warning, because they are all within a 7 minute drive and nothing is lost if they aren't home.  This is where we can walk/bike/rollerblade over for dinner and our four-year-old can make it that far too.  This is where my brother-in-law can be jogging home from Dairy Queen with his boys in the stroller and stop to chat on our front lawn.  This is where we can drop a congratulatory package of Skittles on a siblings front step on our way to anywhere.  This is where my sister-in-law and her dog can pop in for a drink on their walk.

And I am stubborn about choosing that a lot of other aspects of our life are in this neighbourhood too.  I'm not trying to stay in my bubble.  I'm simply aware that if I shop at the grocery store at the end of our street, visit the doctor 4 streets over, choose a hairdresser 3 km away, participate in a church that is a 15 min walk away, enroll in a music class in the area, register for a preschool within biking distance...then I can get those places without a car.

If I get there without a car it means a few things:
- I am being active and staying healthier
- I am more a part of my neighbourhood community
- I am modelling an active lifestyle to my kids
All of which are important to me.

So yeah, I live a lot of my life in a 5km radius.  And I love it.  I love that my kids assume we are biking/walking somewhere and are surprised when we are driving.  I love that Niko knows street names and can navigate his way to an amazing amount of locations.  I love that making time to get there on our own power also means a more relaxed pace of life.  I love that we stop to notice rabbits, birds, squirrels, trees, flowers, and dandelions.  I love that we can say hello to neighbours on our way.  I love that the kids are learning to plan for trips with water, snacks, and clothing.  I love that they are learning traffic rules, safety, and responsibility.  I love that they will comment on how quiet the morning is.