sufficit [translation]

Oh yeah, apparently I forgot to mention: I now work somewhere else. The commute was just too much; now I work about a mile from where I live, which is much nicer than the 90-minute, 35-mile commute I'd been stuck with for the past 2.5 years.

Talking with my new co-workers yesterday about their respective commutes and the horrors of gridlock freeway traffic, I was suddenly struck by the realization that I've never had a commute that could be described as "rush-hour." This intrigues me—though friends and co-workers think Sh and I are a little odd for living car-free (we're the only couple we know who do so, after all), I've recently thought it was more my following H's example in living without an automobile.

But I'd been moving away from the car for a long time. I got my first (and only) car in high school, and drove it around town to work and school, but once I went off to college, I usually would walk or bicycle to work and school. After college, even, my commute was less than a couple miles, then shrunk to a couple blocks. Even when the shop relocated, I usually rode my bike instead of driving, and never drove on freeways.

Once I relocated north and sold the car, there was no more freeway commuting for me. Though my commutes have generally been an hour or longer, it has always been a chance to sleep, read, or stare out the window and ruminate.

It's a pretty good way of doing things. I recommend it to everyone who can—sure, there are environmental benefits to an un-car commute, but I think the personal benefits are the bigger draw.

Shorter distances are nice, too, but then I kinda miss all the chances to read books.

Last updated by eric Sat Aug 11 14:21 2007 | omission | link