@Bythemillpond
All those who don’t drive because they live in London or an area with shops and public transport on your doorstep would you even consider moving away or are you stuck in areas that have to have facilities nearby.
What if you saw an amazing house but it was no where near the shops. Would you consider it or do you have to be in certain areas.
What if your partner/spouse does drive and has their heart set on living in a rural location. Or just somewhere that was a few miles from a bus stop. Would you learn to drive or insist that you can only live in certain areas
Well I'm more constrained by my lack of finances as to where I can live, than my lack of driving tbh. It is a consideration, but not the only one.
I actually do live what I suppose could be considered semi rurally, it's a village, it doesn't have a shop.
The next town is a 20-25 min walk away, that's where I get things. I generally walk, I could get a weeks worth and get the bus, or get stuff delivered, but I like it this way, I like the bargains I can get going regularly, getting out, combining it with exercise etc. I have changed to getting a 'bulk' shop delivered once a month and then topping up since covid, but then people who drive get deliveries too, so it's not something only available for non drivers at everyone else's expense.
The town I work in has a good selection of shops I can get most things I need or want that I can't locally. I'm there for work anyway.
The bus services have actually been improved in the last 2 years, made my life easier, but not changed it vastly as I managed before and work in the same town though different job. I can work any of the shifts as the buses are regular and fairly reliable, even through lockdowns. I happen to prefer nights though. Times they're not running are pre planned, I book taxi's and put the money aside, unless it's something like the weather, but then everyone is affected by that, not just me.
I currently don't have a partner or spouse, if that question arose, it would need discussion, not just about me not driving but about everything involved in choosing somewhere to live, it wouldn't hinge solely on that, I don't particularly want to move regardless of my driving status, I've moved a lot over the years (again not due to my driving status) and I just don't want to again as I finally have a bit of stability. That'd be far more of a sticking point for me.
Similarly I don't like camping, so it's a non starter even if I did drive.
I've travelled, and holidayed. I have ridden horses all my life too, I look after a friends regularly, my shift pattern allows me to do that. My life is quite full and I'm quite content.
Would driving make things easier for me? Quite likely, but then having tried several times and failed, I'd rather put that money into gaining some enjoyment out of life in a way I can, rather than pouring money continuously into something I'm clearly not suitable for.
I'm encouraging my child to learn, I've money aside for that, paid for the provisional etc. I hope she's better than me because then yes, she'll have an easier life, but it won't be an insurmountable problem if she can't.
I realise my lifestyle won't suit everyone though, I get that. Some people won't want to live the way I do - that's up to them. But it's up to me how I choose to live, I don't put upon anyone because I don't drive, I just get on with it. I don't see why that's such an issue for some people to grasp really.