Today’s #TranspoStory feature comes from Catherine from Cleveland, Ohio. Catherine shared her transportation story through DOT’s Share Your Story website.

“My first mode of transportation was walking - a couple miles to and from school every day no matter how much snow or ice was on the ground or how cold it was. No, I wasn't barefoot, but this built strength knowing that I could count on myself no matter what the circumstances. 

As a child, my bicycle became the first step toward greater mobility. In the summer, our neighborhood "gang" rode all day long - down to the beach on Lake Erie or to the local pool. In those youthful days, I remember how exciting it was to take the public bus for birthday trips downtown to Higbee's Silver Grille and the Terminal Tower with my Grandma.

During college, the airport limousine was my ride home from Kent State on the weekends.  To get to my first job after college, I took the CTS and transferred to the Rapid Transit subway system. The bus was always an adventure, and always there for me.

When I finally bought my very own car it was used and falling apart, but it gave me a sense of freedom. I eventually came back to riding my bicycle, understanding the delight and exercise benefits of peddling furiously through the wind. I rode each of my 3 children in a bike seat for daily errands and to exercise class. For ten years, I rode the 350-mile Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure which allowed me to see beautiful parts of my home state that I would have missed from a car. 

Although my first ride on an airplane left me with painful ear blockage for a week, it didn't deter me from exploring the country by air whenever cost and time permitted. Now airplanes are a daily part of my life as I work for the FAA stationed at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. We all eventually return to where it all started. And now I’m walking more, which even as arthritis sets in is a bit painful, but crucial to my well-being.”

We want to hear from you. Share your transportation story at www.transportation.gov/ShareYourStory and by using the hashtag #TranspoStory on social media. Follow DOT on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram.

*Catherine’s story has been condensed and edited.