Thirty Thousand Miles
Just in case you’re wondering, the title for this site came from my own annual commute. I traveled approximately 30,000 miles each year in my drive to and from my job for several years before I realized I was spending about 500 hours a year on the road. That’s 62.5 eight hour work days every year, wasted in the seat of a car.
My cell phone and the radio passed the time, but I certainly didn’t learn anything in those 500 hours, other than the names of all the popular artists. I decided I needed to trim my commute, or make better use of the time.
I’ve since cut my travel from about 30,000 miles per year to around 12,000 miles. Even at only 12,000 miles per year, at an average speed of 60 MPH, I still lose 200 hours, or 25 eight hour days, of my life each year. I’ve become a proud user of a digital voice recorder and a frequent listener of audio books and programs meant for self-improvement and learning. I might not be able to get a physical workout while driving, but I can put my mind through its paces.
I didn’t quit working–I simply found an employer willing to let me work from home several days each week. I use software to keep connected to my office computer (GoToMyPC), and I plan by carefully evaluating anything I do in the office for its take-home potential.
I would love to completely eliminate my commute, but the job I have won’t allow that kind of freedom. Hence, I’ve also begun to pursue other avenues of work from home. I have high hopes and great expectations for a commute free future.
In the meantime, I’ve created this site to share resources for commuters, telecommuters, and those of us who work from home. I hope you enjoy the site and find something useful here.