Commuting Competition

This week I will be discussing my work commute in Europe and compare which is better: getting to work in Europe or getting to work in the United States. I will spare you the suspense; I absolutely loved my commute to work! I know that sounds crazy. Most people come into work complaining of the traffic or other drivers on the road, but I actually looked forward to getting on the bus every day. My commute to work was very simple: I would get on the bus at the stop right outside my door and ride for about 15 minutes to the stop right outside the door of my office. I much prefer this to any commute to work I've had previously. Riding the bus/train to and from work was one of my favorite parts of the day. Those were the few minutes of the day where I really allowed myself to shut my brain down and not think of anything worrisome. I could just put my headphones in and listen to whatever music I was in the mood for. Sure, the bus could be crowded and smelly at times, but I was at the mercy of the bus driver. I wasn't the one behind the wheel of the vehicle that was responsible for following traffic laws and not getting into accidents. I may have been surrounded by people, but they were all in their own little worlds and had little to no interest in what I was doing. I could just exist in my own little bubble and listen to my music.

My previous experience with commuting in the U.S. is quite different. I have found that it is more stressful driving to work every day knowing that you are the one in control the whole time. You are also never sure how much traffic there will be. Because there is not widespread access to public transportation, everyone has to drive. Therefore you are interacting with more people using only one kind of transportation to get to work every morning. I find that I get stressed driving in the morning, especially running behind.

I am also of the opinion that it is more fun to listen to music on the bus or train. Listening to a song while the train rattles to the beat makes it so much more enjoyable! It creates a different kind of ambiance to the musical experience that can completely change the way a song makes you feel. Don't get me wrong, the commute to work in the U.S. is not an unpleasant experience for me, I just enjoyed the change in routine that I experienced while in Brussels.

I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy throughout all of this! I will post again soon!