I use the sync feature, but its not required. There are several tutorials for using got with a community plugin or an alternative like syncthing.
Its just text after all. Which is the point of using Obsidian.
Paying for sync is like paying to support the software development. Which is worth doing for Obsidian. Plus I find it useful. I am on the older lower rate.
Yeah, I commuted by bike until we had kids. Sadly, the preschool that we liked the most also wasn't easily bikable from the house. The kids now go to a school that is easily bikable, and it's a joy.
I do that now because I'm fortunate enough to live very close to work, but that can be really difficult for parents. If your commute time is too long then commute + work + commute can end up a longer span of time than the gap between breakfast and dinner for the kids. When I lived farther, I drove because that mattered more to me than missing meals with them.