Today marks the second day of my massive commute to my wonderful, brand-spankin-new job!
(A job which I adore so far, by the way. This place treats their employees fabulously, values their ideas and needs as teachers, and believes each child is essential to their school. I get to spend all day in a gorgeous classroom, working with some of the cutest babies in the world, with some pretty neat-o co-workers. It's amazing what a clean classroom filled with beautiful materials and people who want to be there can do to my outlook on work!)
We sold our car when we moved to Chicago, and I was able to walk to my old job in less than half an hour. And so far, it's been sunny and gorgeous and I loved every minute of my commute. Today, on the other hand, I woke up at 5 am to catch a 6 am bus down the road. I transferred to another bus after half an hour (by now it was pouring rain), rode this bus for fifteen minutes, and got off a block away from work. My umbrella immediately turned inside out and ripped to shreds as I ran down the block in the dark, arriving just before my shift started at 7 am.
Dramatic, right??
I'm not gonna lie - at times I just shake my head at the fact that it takes me an hour to go 5 and a half miles.
But then I remember that I loathe driving at the core of my being. And that I wouldn't get to go back to sleep if I were driving to work. And I really, really like the shared experience of traveling in a bus (or subway full of people).
Matt and I are absolutely loving not owning a car. We went cold turkey and haven't looked back. We purposely choose a city that would allow us to get around easily without driving by ourselves. And I'm loving living the car-less life.
(and hello - check out this welcome-home greeting! makes the trek well-worth it!)
