To train or not to train

Driving in Southern California sucks. Like, it really sucks.

Take my commute as an example: a 23-mile drive that can vary from 30 minutes to 150 minutes depending on the day. On average, it would take me about an hour and twenty minutes to get home.

That’s a lot of stop and go traffic to deal with. And that really sucks.

I take the train on most days now. It actually lengthens my commute by an extra twenty minutes. However, I get to nap on the train (without causing an accident). I can even get some work done if I find an open table.

So far, I’ve focused on how long these two options are. But the real factor on what makes a commute suck or not the length of time. It is the stress that I take on during that commute.

I can drive for 2 hours in the same direction will no trouble. I’ve driven longer distances during road trips and have zero issue with it. It’s all good as traffic is going at a steady pace.

It doesn’t even matter if that pace is 10mph as long as the flow of traffic is consistent. It reduces the cognitive load on my mind, which leads to much less stress by the time I get to work.

Stop-and-go traffic forces me to be on alert ALL OF THE TIME. Alertness increases the level of stress hormones in my body. And since they’re hormones, they take forever to clear up, usually toward the end of the day.

As a result, it raises my baseline stress level when I’m at work. It’s just enough to push my total stress near my limit — making the normal worries of the day far less tolerable.

I don’t have all that added stress with the train. I end up with far more headroom to take on adulting.

That’s not to say that there is zero added stress with the train. I’m on their schedule, so if I miss a train because my connecting bus is late I am shit outta luck. The train can also get crowded, which is a pain for an introvert such as myself. And there is that increased risk of contracting COVID in that enclosed bus-on-rails.

So, there’s still a balance that I have to consider. Sometimes taking on the extra stress is worth it if traffic happens to be light and I can get home earlier. A short nap in bed at home is far more comfortable than a longer nap sitting up while surrounded by strangers.

Other days, the train is worth the fare I am paying. I get a lot of time back by having someone else take me home. And I have used this time wisely, getting a lot of journaling and reading done.

I also get a lot of other writing done, including this blog. I end the day feeling productive. And that feels good.

Maybe someday I’ll be able to have a job that doesn’t require a daily commute. Maybe this blog will pan out and I’ll get to live a writer’s life. I would not mind being a travel or hiking blogger. I would still have to commute to the place that I will write about, but I doubt I would go to the same location every single day.

That would be pretty sweet.

Anyway, I better stop. I am writing this last bit on the train station and my train ride home is about to arrive.