I have clear memories of getting to school. From Kindergarten through third grade I took a school bus, but first I had to walk about a half mile to the bus stop. The last 100 yards of my walk was down a very steep street. This street was carved into a hill and acted as a sort of noise tunnel. One day as I began the descent I was stopped in my tracks by the rumbling sound of the bus coming from the bottom of the hill. It had already arrived before I got there!
The next 10 minutes of my life flashed before me: I would have to sprint down the hill if I had any chance of catching the bus, and once I got there the big kids would know I was late and might laugh at me. Peer pressure at the age of five.
Instead of facing the fear of ridicule, I decided instead to leap up onto the curb and hide behind a bush. As soon as the bus (finally) left the stop I got up and headed for home. I gracefully entered the front door and expected my mom to be thrilled I was home. Quite the opposite. She was in her robe feeding my baby brother breakfast while he sat in his high chair, and the last thing she wanted to do was rush to clean him, dress him, dress herself and drive me to school.
I was never late for the bus again.
Embrace Santa Barbara 
amazing the difference in independence in one generation, right? i took a school bus to school in kindergarten too. i don’t remember if i had to walk to the stop, maybe my mom walked with me, but i had two little brothers so she might not have. I have distinct, and fond, memories of my mom sending me into Safeway to buy groceries. She would sit in the car with my two little brothers and i was maybe 8 years old at the most. she would tell me about 10 things to get and give me $20 or so. the checkers were always amazed that i was in there shopping by myself, and without a list!
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Maybe it was because there were four of us together, but we walked to Monroe School from Kenwood Road every day. One thing I do remember clearly, though, is when we had a lesson in Kindergarten about not talking to strangers or getting into cars with them. I can still see the handout we got with the scary guy hiding behind a tree. On my way home that day, I was with a friend who was shocked when a car stopped and I climbed inside. She scolded me, even after I told her that I knew the family.