I’ve started the core class in Medical Informatics at the U of U. The class starts at 7:30 am in the morning (I’m not stupid, I just love when people say that). Initially I planned on taking the bus up there every day. Unfortunately that would have involved getting up at 4:30 so I could get to the bus stop by 5:20. Then it was 2 hours to make it up to the hospital. That was 2 hours on the express bus. On the way home there is no express bus so I would have to go through 3 or 4 different transfers to make it to the MTC. If I left the U at 9, when class ends, I wouldn’t get to the MTC until 12. 3 fun hours of transport madness.
As luck would have it, my neighbor recently took a job in Salt Lake doing financial planning. So he tries to be in to work at 7 am in the morning and then he works until 11. I now hitch a ride with him up to Salt Lake, drop him off at his work on West Temple, and then drive the car up to the U. So far it is working out great! I don’t have to wake up unti 5:15 and then I’m only in the car for an hour and a half. I can spend the time after class studying or reading and still I get to the MTC at the same time that I would have on the bus.
I can’t believe that people regularly commute more than an hour to get to work each day. It just seems like such a waste of time to me. I’ve noticed that Tammy’s family is much more likely to drive for a couple hours to get somewhere cool to visit. And it never seems to be that big of a deal to just get up and travel. On the other hand, my family never drives more than an hour unless it is a big planned out production.
Personally I hate the commute. I hope that wherever I end up getting a job that I’m able to get to in under a half hour, preferably even be able to ride my bike. We shall see.
