on commuting
My commute to and from work takes about 2 hours out of my day. During those hours, I'm taking a train, tram, or the odd bus. I used to hate living so far from my workplace and would want to drive to work to minimise the time it takes to get to work, but I've come to enjoy the time during my commute.
It means I get free time to brush up on my Japanese, read a book on my Kindle, or even draft ideas for my next blog post. I attribute the completion of a few of my daily habits to this block of time wherein I'm kind of forced (in a good way) to do them. It feels really nice to get some Japanese learning done first thing in the morning, so that I don't have to worry about repping 100+ flash cards in the evening when I'm exhausted after work.
My habits have become so closely tied to my commute that on days when I work from home, I would not be as productive because I would just sleep in without doing my habits in the morning. My productivity also goes down by a noticeable amount when I work from home due to a combination of factors, mostly due to sleeping late the night before and being distracted. It's got to a point where I'm considering going to a co-working space where I can work without distractions, but I digress.
I am so grateful to be living in a city that has somewhat decent public transport, which means I don't have to deal with all the problems that come with driving. The traffic jams in the morning, the fuel costs, and the need to be alert at all times on the road, even if you've had a bad night's sleep, and so on With public transport, I can just kick back and relax while doing anything I want without worrying about whether I will get to my destination or not.
It's nice to just put some earphones in and listen to some music while staring out the window at the passing scenery as the day goes from a clear sky to an evening glow. Along with that, being able to immerse myself in a book without any external distractions is such an amazing feeling, especially if it's a book I am really interested in. Just letting my mind go blank and simply enjoying being in the present is not an opportunity I get very often in my day-to-day, which is why I've come to value this time so much.
In short, I have found that the importance of commuting is more than just being able to work with your co-workers more efficiently or to get free lunch at the office. It's a time where I can find peace and enjoy being present.
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