On work days I leave the house at 8:30am and get to my desk at 10am. I have a long commute, although I don't travel very far. I have been doing this same commute for years now, and it is often the most restful part of my day.
8:30 - leave the house with C and O plus all our bags
8:35 - drive the four miles to school
8:45 - park the car at the childminder's house ready for that evening and then walk to school
8:50 - arrive at school, shout goodbyes to C and stand in line with O
9:05 - leave school and start walking to the tube station
9:15 - get to the tube station and wait for a train
9:45 - get off the tube at St Pauls and walk to the coffee shop
9:55 - arrive at work with iPod headphone cable tangled everywhere
10:00 - dump iPod, coffee and bags on desk, and start my day
I find the repetition restful in a strange way. I love all the tiny, tiny details that I know and salute each morning - like the bank of violets that blooms at the edge of the path by the childminder's house every spring, the cooking apple tree that is laden in the autumn, the strange house near school that has stone lions by the front door, the exact point in the road where the queue for the roundabout starts, the broken step at St Paul's station that I avoid if I am wearing heels, and the group of three houses with lavender bushes in their front gardens which I rub between my fingers each morning.
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The journey takes a long time but is very easy. I can do it half-asleep and only really wake up properly when I get to my desk!
There is a great group on flickr called Daily Commutes. Go and have a look and marvel at how other people's commutes across the world are so vey different from your own.
Good grief, I don't think I shall ever moan about going to work ever again- you deserve a medal (or at least a muffin to go with that coffee) V. pretty new shoes, Madam!x
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about your commute - there's something so comforting and lovely about knowing a route so well that you know which steps to avoid.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I was a little shocked at the difference b/t when you leave your house to when you arrive to work. But you know, I can see how you'd find relaxation in that repetition, in a lot of ways. Interesting! Off to see the Flikr group. :)
ReplyDeleteAnn
You make me want to look at the steps of St Paul's! Personally I am rather pleased I don't have to commute every day now that I am retired! Ma x
ReplyDeletegosh how well planned, I like the reality of the tangled ipod in amongst everything
ReplyDeletelove those shoes, when I last had a journey to work it involved a bike, horrible trainers, and if I remembered nice shoes to wear at work......
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