Last week, I started college for (hopefully) my final semester and earlier in the year, moved 20 miles away from the college campus and my current job to be more centrally located in the DFW area in preparation for my post-graduate life.
There are definitely some obvious cons to a long commute such as, I tend to fill up my tank once a week now instead of once every other week or sometimes every third week. Also, extended travel time that is further extended by traffic at the usual 8 am and 5 pm.
However, those cons can be curbed with public transportation. As a student I can ride DCTA bus for free, and after graduation, a monthly bus pass is cheaper than what I was spending a month in gasoline. When taking the bus, I have time to myself to catch up reading for pleasure or for assignments, listen to the latest album I purchased without the distraction of driving, or watch a TV show on my iPod.
I also had an ulterior motive for separating at-home life and work/school life. As college progressed, and friends moved away after their graduation, I found myself staying at home more and more. I also had quit attending student organization meetings like the Mac user group and photography group due to work constraints and wasn’t making new friends through other avenues. By increasing the cost (both in actual cost and time) it would be to get to my apartment, I’m forcing myself to go out and socialize more.
So far, I like spending more of my time away from the apartment. I end up spending the time between school in the mornings and work in the evenings walking around campus or downtown with my camera, in the library, and in coffee shops, and at the gym. I feel I’m more productive in those environments than at home because I don’t want to be the guy playing a game across from you while you quietly read.
Overall, I think the extra nudge from a long commute to keep me out in the world rather than in my apartment has been a positive thing.
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