I was reminded of my long commute year yesterday.
I commuted 1 hour 45 minutes one-way nearly every day in 2012. It started as a 4 month thing and got extended for all good reasons. I remember being completely freaked out by the prospect in the first month. I gradually began accepting it and even shared some of my early reflections in month 2. Over time, it just became habitual – leave home at 7:15am, get to work by 9, work like a mad person as you knew you had to get out by the 5:30/6:30 bus, take some work back on the commute and get back by around 7:15pm.
It helped that there were others who shared the same/similar commute. It created a nice feeling of camaraderie. There were a few who had been doing so for 5-6 years. Over time, I learnt to optimize every part of it – for example, I replaced the last leg – a 20 minute bus ride – with a bicycle ride through a park. This was good exercise even if it was occasionally freezing cold.
That commute serves as a great reminder of our ability to get used to anything. Our minds and bodies are very adaptable and we can thus get used to most things. The unimaginable and uncomfortable can just as easily become habitual. That’s very good to know.
A Learning a Day 