After driving a car for many years, I gave it up about five years ago. I decided that it cost too much money, was bad for the environment and bad for my own health (sitting around all the time and getting stressed out by other drivers). As such, it was very important to me that I live somewhere that is accessible to my university without having to drive a car to get there. Luckily, this was a very easy task in Dumfries!
While there are many cars that drive through town, my fellow students and I are able to get around primarily by foot. The town is small, so most places are within a 15-20 minute walk. To get to other towns, there are dozens of busses that run regularly as well as a train station with services connecting to places as far as Glasgow to the north or Newcastle to the south.
When I first moved into the house where I am living, I planned to take the bus to my classes because I saw that the campus was a 45 minute walk away. However, when school started, I tried walking to campus and found it to be much more pleasant than taking the bus. Now the time I spend walking goes by quickly, and I enjoy a beautiful walk while getting some exercise on my way to class each day.
