Shoveled driveways all winter and mowed lawns all spring as a kid in New England to save the money for a 3sp Sting Ray. It cost about $70, which was a fortune in 1969. Came up short and my grandparents kicked in the balance.
After the first ride around the block I was a bike nut for life.
Moved to Hawaii at 13. Got a paper route and earned the money for my first "real" bike, a Panasonic 10sp. I wouldn't even try to guess how many miles I put on that bike.
Moved to Washington State at 19 and ended up with my dream job for a few years. Running a bike shop.
Bike shops generally are not the fast track to a high income (understatement) and I had to move on but have never stopped loving bikes.
I've also almost always had a car but would ride whenever it was an option. Even after all these years (I am now 51) when I mount up and make that first downstroke on the pedal my mind drifts back to that first ride around the block on my new Sting Ray.