The Commute

I regularly take Caltrain up to San Francisco from the South Bay. It can take as little as 45 minutes, or as long as about 80 minutes. Double that time and that means I spend 2.5 hours of my day on the train. Not to mention the time it takes to get to and from the train, work, and home.

I occasionally get asked about my commute, and then there’s always this response that sounds like they feel empathy for me. Really? Is 2.5 hours a lot of time everyday to commute to a job you spend 9–10 hours at (actually, it’s much longer than that)? Okay, it might be when you dread the work you do. I look forward to chatting and brainstorming with my colleagues, meeting and helping various developers from various companies, and attending conferences and meetups.

Perhaps it can be tiring to do this day after day for years, and especially, when there are delays or accidents that make it into hours longer.

But I look at the time on the train as an opportunity to write. To learn something new by reading a blog post or news article. Or, just look out the window as the cities pass by one by one. Having a distraction-free, dedicated block of time everyday that I can focus on whatever I want.

If I spent my 2.5 hours everyday driving a car, I would be spending that time focused on the other cars, the road, and things that ultimately mean absolutely nothing in the long term. Maybe that’s why people try to use their cellphone to call someone, to try to use this time in a more meaningful way, or pass the time.

Let me get back on track here. The train is also an inspiration of sorts. You have those regular riders you recognize, day after day. Same car, same spots, same routines. We are truly creatures of habit.

It is interesting to people watch and see how others on the train distract themselves. Who uses a phone (iPhone, Android), a laptop (wow, lots of Macbooks), a book, a notepad, or a phone call to pass the time away? Which person will it be today to have that 30 minute phone call? Oh, is that rider, hmm, a realtor or investor?

There’s a lot of new construction happening along the Caltrain corridor. In Menlo Park, they are digging the foundation for a large building. In San Carlos, they are in the process of building high-density housing units. At Hillsdale, they are constructing an overpass under the tracks. Each day, a little more progress happens as my train passes by.

This inspiration, instead of irritations and frustrations, is used in the projects I work on. As a Developer Advocate, I talk with people who might be frustrated with technology and come to me with questions on how to fix issues. Others come to me and ask me for my opinion on the projects they are working on. I use my real-life experience and observations to help reinforce my feedback.

One morning this week, I used the time to write blog posts, like this one. We’re approaching the San Bruno station on an overly crowded train. It’s the older galley cars, the bombardier trainset had an issue again? People are standing in every aisle, upstairs and downstairs. The conductor gets on the PA and says “I know this train is at capacity, but we need to make room for the riders at San Bruno before we can continue on to the last stop, San Francisco.” Do you feel like a sardine yet?

Anyways, what started as standing room only, being pushed and bumped into, ending up with a at-capacity train, has resulted in a blog post and a learning lesson for myself, and maybe yourself. Life is always going to be an adventure. Use the time for something you’d probably wouldn’t do if you were in a different environment. And take a moment to enjoy the scenery.

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