I like to joke that all the good things in the world happen in my absence.

When I moved away from Pakistan, they got a better leader.

When I moved away from Austin, they got rain and even snow!

Now, even though I'm officially a student at UH––Main, it's mostly a place-holding title because I'm lucky if I see the main campus for months at a time. I'm taking all of my classes (which all happen to fall on one day, anyway) at the Sugar Land Campus and spend the remainder of my time student teaching in an elementary school.

I like to keep up with campus news, however, because you never know when they might have some sort of event that would be almost sinful to miss and would actually be worth the hour-and-a-half drive to and from my home.

I still read the weekly newsletter (although that's more out of habit than anything else) and follow the university and various departments on social media.

Beginning Fall 2018, UH has a new way of promoting sustainability and easing transportation hassles. If you've ever been on a stroll in downtown Houston, you've probably noted the racks of bicycles that are available to be checked out and ridden around the city. It's three dollars for 30 minutes and if you pay the monthly or annual membership dues, you get unlimited 60-minute trips.

Of course, unless you have the stamina of Hercules, I wouldn't suggest getting too excited about being environmentally friendly and deciding to completely commute by bicycle. Although, there are plenty of times where you might want to grab a breath of air during a lunch trip or take a small trip downtown.

Maybe you have to hit some museum for an assignment or decide to finally take advantage of the fact that University of Houston students get into the Houston Zoo for free.

All these locations have BCycle stations and you can conveniently dock your bicycle into any of the docking stations. Also, the bicycles have a basket to carry a small purse or bag (as someone who hates having to leave her cell phone behind even for a short round around my neighborhood, I heartily appreciate).

I think this partnership is a great opportunity and if you're fortunate enough to still actually get to see the main campus, this is one goat you want to milk for all she's worth.