While train delays, stuck traffic, snowed out, break down have been part of regular conversions of my colleagues, I never had much of a commute. To the envy of many, my commute has been walking to work, or a short train ride. And the trains ran every 5 minutes or so during rush hours and served 24 hours. Awesome! If I miss one, there’s always another one right behind it. Do these trains even have fixed, official schedule? Even if they did, it would probably be like “from this time to this time, train runs every 5 minutes, then from this time to time it runs every 10 minutes, and so on.” I certainly didn’t need one and didn’t bother to check.

Alas, all that changed. I always carry a printed train schedule with me now with the express trains highlighted. I had to take 2 local trains, just to get to the train that can take me home. No wait. The train takes me to the station that’s close to my place. I have to then drive back home. Been a New Yorker, efficiency is the key. I have worked out precise timings and calibrated my walking speed to catch the train I want to- just on time, without having to wait.

My commute is now close to 2 hours door-to-door, each way. Yes, you read it right. That’s a 20 hour commute a week, for a 40 hour work week. If I continue doing this, and if I work for 300 days a year, I’d be spending 50 days a year just commuting to work. Nice. I have more things to share with my colleagues.