The Gift of Time

I’ve given myself the gift of time. With one simple change, I’ve been able to nab an extra 40 minutes of free time every weekday. That adds up to almost three and half hours per week, and over 13 hours a month. I’ve been able to do so much with this extra time; I read 5 books last month (not to mention countless articles and blog posts), I even dusted off the ol’ Gameboy and allowed myself some brainless fun, but most importantly, I’ve started giving myself a little time to relax and decompress.

Okay, I’ll stop leading you on now. I was able to give myself 3 extra hours a week simply by taking the bus everyday. It’s so nice to just sit back and let someone else drive you around! Think of it as sharing a chauffeur with a city block. :)

My daily commute is only about 3 miles so I normally ride my bike. Lately it’s been way too cold and icy though, so rather than driving, I started taking advantage of the bus system. It takes a bit of planning to make it work. For example, by car it would take me 6 or 7 minutes depending on traffic. By bus it takes 20 minutes. So I have to get up just a little earlier and plan ahead a little bit. But man, oh man, is it worth it. I didn’t realize just how much driving was contributing to my stress levels in the past. And by not buying a parking pass, I’ve deliberately saved myself hundreds of dollars on gas, maintenance, and the parking pass itself. And I never have to deal with

Most people despise public transportation, I get it. Sometimes it might be stinky or you run into a weirdo or seven. (Sometimes that makes it interesting!) But consider giving yourself the gift of time and take the bus or train. You’ll also be giving a gift to the planet of one less car’s-worth of carbon emissions. </eco soap box>

As much as I’m looking forward to spring-time weather and hopping back on the bike, I think I’ll miss greeting the bus driver every morning.