Its funny how I miss my little red Zen. The one I took for granted all these years. They say you don’t know the value of something till its gone. So true. I have to admit I’ve never really been a car person. I guess that was because I lived in a city like Mumbai, where the last thing you needed was a car. Any Mumbai person knows that the frustration of trying to find a parking spot is lesser than the frustration of a bumpy auto ride to your destination. Either way, I still had the car in my garage, just incase I needed it. Having moved to Austria (Yes, I’ve started accepting that I moved to Austria and not the UK), I have managed to find myself in situations, where life without car seems very similar to prison life.

Situation 1 – Missed the bus to the city and got drenched walking from the bus station to my hotel, depressed over the fact that I couldn’t make it to Capoeira

Situation 2 – Missed the bus back to the village from the city, making me hitchhike till the motorway and walk 2 hours

Permanent Situation – Being stuck. No explanation required. The feeling of being stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Well, the issue here is not about the car. I guess I could get one or borrow one or rent one if I wanted. I don’t have a license to drive in Europe. I’ve been told that you can drive for the first 6 months with your Indian license, but honestly I don’t know if Austrians know that. I didn’t take an International license in India due to the bureaucracy. I haven’t applied for a driving license in the UK because I have to go back to driving school and write tests et all. I guess its the same story for Europe. Call me lazy or whatever, I just think I should be allowed to drive here.

What do you think I should do?

Should I try this story with a car rental and see if they will let me hit the road in Europe with my Indian license. After all, If I can drive in India amidst all the traffic and the occasional elephant, shouldn’t driving in Europe be a piece of cake?

Or, should I just accept the fact that from cars to bikes to scooters to bicycles, I’ve finally reached a situation where it will be me, my two legs and miles to go?

…… any other thoughts?