Enjoy the Commute

Whether our journey is a long or short one, there are ways we can make it pleasurable and arrive at our destination relaxed and un-ruffled.

I have always enjoyed driving and distance has never been an issue. I moved from living five minutes away from my job to half an hour away, and then a few months ago I moved even further away.

Where you live in relation to your commute depends on your attitude. When I lived five minutes from work, the drive was a short one through town and – to be quite honest – very un-memorable. Now that I am an hour away I look forward to the drive and when I reach my destination I’m happy and relaxed. It takes me around an hour to get to work but the drive is through picturesque countryside with very little traffic and only two traffic lights.



I have a great CD player in my car and carry a small wallet that fits about a dozen CDs and locks away in my glovebox. I make a point of refreshing my supply of CDs every week or so from my collection at home so there is always something new to listen to.

Because I have a lot of thinking time, I use this to plan my day and if I want to remember something I use the Dictaphone setting on my phone or pull over to jot down notes. I also come up with some of my best creative ideas during this time.



To add to my personal comfort, I’ve made note of where all the conveniences like petrol stations, public toilets and shops are along the way.

The trick to an unhurried commute is to allow more time than you need. Although I know my commute generally takes an easy hour, I always allow around ten or fifteen minutes more. This means I can take my time, enjoy the scenery and pull over to take photos or jot down ideas. It also means I don’t have to stress if I get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle (which tends to happen quite a bit on winding country roads.) If I arrive at my destination early, there’s always time for a coffee!



So don’t let distance deter you when deciding where to live or work. Sometimes the further away you are the more enjoyable the journey can be.



#_attitude
#_perspective
#_relaxation
#_stress_management

%selfavenue