I don't miss the commute.

I used to wish I could work from home all the time.

As someone who's lived in Tri-State Area (what we call NY/NJ/CT) for their entire life - my commute used to take me 1.45 hours each way from Brooklyn (walking a mile, a subway, then a half mile walk) - for over 15 years, then we moved to NJ for four years - where the commute was by bus (1.5 hours each way), but that was cut short by 9/11 - as the bus ride became almost 3 hours (for searches) each way.

Check out this latest article from the NYTs noting that many offices are now pushing to 2022:

Then we moved into Manhattan for 4 years - and we were packed so incredibly tightly into trains that were overloaded on the upper East (before they built the 2nd ave line) - that was a 2 train ride, then walk - that only took 25 minutes. But if you're from out of NYC picture a concert space and now cram that into a subway car (every day rain, snow, heat of the summer yikes!) That isn't even fathomable now during COVID.

Then finally we moved to Long Island - where I took the Long Island Rail Road (approx. also about 1.5 hours each way) - where you had to park 30 minutes early in the lot to get a spot in the overcrowded lot, then I took the LIRR, and then had to take another train or walk about a mile (I did this for 10 years).

PHEW.

Now imagine anything slightly going wrong - rain, snow, sometimes seemingly nothing at all could make that easily a 2.5 to 3 hour each way trip - or in some rare instances - no ability to get home at all due to a whole host of other issues (trees on the tracks for example, storms etc. etc.) I've gotten home at 1AM due to train issues as well.

Now here we are - with return dates pushing back yet again.

I'm so incredibly lucky and thankful to have made the choice to give up on the commute - and the grind that is suburban commuting to start the The Gerson Agency, LLC. and it looks like I'm going to have a lot more company this fall yet again.

I enjoy my 3 hours a day that I got back - to exercise, reflect - and prepare for each day.

What say you? - do you miss the commute ? The grind ?