ZeroGrav – Aug 2018 – On Commuting

Commuting to and from work in Massachusetts is tough.  The average commute time a couple years ago was probably somewhere around 30 – 40 minutes for most folks, and it seems to be getting worse, I am thinking 45 – 65 minutes is more accurate today.  45 minutes twice a day, 90 minutes, 5 times per week, that is 7.5 hrs per week in a car, train, bus, or other form of transportation.  And it’s not just the length of time, but the congestion… Lots of traffic on the roads and packed trains, makes for an uncomfortable ride.

My commute is roughly 60 minutes each way.  I drive to the T parking garage, take the redline, and then walk about half a mile.  I opt for that over driving as it is less expensive than paying for a parking pass, and also primarily because dealing with the train is arguably less stressful than traffic.  I work remotely a couple times per week as well.

I have had a variety of commutes over the years:

• Worked in a distant office park, 35 mile drive each way.  Nothing around (shops, restaurants, etc).
• Long public transit commute – Walk to T, red line, and then green line.  Did not enjoy as the switching from one train to another twice a day every day is an energy drain.
• Zero commute – I telecommuted for about a year and a half, only went into the office once every few months.  That was different for sure.
• Short commute, 10 minutes, would come home for lunch every day.
• Hybrid – I currently have a good mix of the above, 3 days with the long commute, and 2 days working remotely.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the growing number of people biking to work.  There is a ton of that in town.  Awesome!

Looking back at the above, I sometimes miss the distant office park type of commute.  There is something rewarding about knowing exactly how many miles you need to drive, filling up the gas tank every 2-3 days, and also working in a ‘campus’ type environment, meaning once you are on-site you can get settled in and feel secure in your role.

Taking the T and working in town has a lot of advantages too, there are plenty of places to go and sights to see.  Never a dull moment.

Today I am working remotely on my laptop and I have the window open, fresh breeze and sunlight from the open window, and can hear the birds and crickets chirping right outside.  It is very refreshing.  And such a contrast to yesterday, where it was raining, the train was overpacked, and I didn’t get home until past 7:30 PM after a day full of meetings.

All things in balance!  My opinion – work hard, wherever you are.  And also find the commute that works for you, not the other way around.

cheers

zero’d gravity