I live in the middle of nowhere, and it's really inconvenient without a car. But now isn't a good time to buy one, especially since I'm going back to my home country in just eight months. So, I went ahead and bought a scooter. It takes me less than 15 minutes to ride to the lab (I live close to campus).

When it first arrived, I was a bit worried. It's a big guy. I imagined it would be about the size of a kid's scooter. Turns out, this thing is big, wide, and heavy—weighs about 28.5 pounds. Carrying it up and down from the third floor every day is a bit of a workout.

The max range on a full charge is 40 miles. The faster you go, the quicker the battery drains, and the shorter the range. The top speed is 25 km/h. From what I've seen, if you ride at top speed, you'll run out of juice after about 30 miles. I find keeping my daily round trip under 10 miles is comfortable and I don't have to worry about the battery.

Prices range from $300 to $1000. I got a cheaper one. You might want to check the specs before deciding.

Aside from these minor drawbacks—which aren't really deal-breakers—the scooter has been fantastic.

No more waiting for buses, which are often unreliable and involve long waits. Plus, the bus service stops in the afternoon. With my own scooter, it's super convenient. I can leave whenever I want, and the speed is decent. America really isn't designed for walking. For short to medium distances, a scooter is the way to go!

I'm always worried about it getting stolen, so I take it with me everywhere. I wheel it into the grocery store, into the lab—wherever I go, it comes along. At first, I felt a bit awkward taking it into stores since it's so bulky. But no one has ever stopped me. Now, I happily push it around everywhere. If it's a big supermarket with large shopping carts, I can fold it up and put it in the bottom section of the cart.

All in all, it's really convenient for getting to and from school, grabbing breakfast, and things like that.