3 Ways to Make Your Commute Not So Miserably Boring

My morning commute is about 30 minutes. I know, I know—comparatively speaking to some of my friends in cities like Atlanta or Houston, 30 minutes is nothing. But it still feels long—30 minutes of just staring at the road and making sure other drivers don’t veer into my lane each morning. It’s a little… dull.

And to those with reliable public transportation: I am actually jealous of your commute no matter the length, because at least you can read a book or write or work on something visually that a drive does not allow (and an extra special envy for those who live in London and can take the gloriously clean and efficient Underground).

In an effort to change my attitude toward the roughly one hour a day I spend staring at a road, I’ve decided to mix my morning commute up instead of just listening to the same 10 albums on repeat.

Here are 3 ways I’m trying to make my morning commute not so miserably boring.

1. Podcasts

I once thought that podcasts wouldn’t be able to hold my attention—I presumed podcasts would be a bit of a bore for me. Like most things I jump to baseless conclusions with (i.e. avocados), I was wrong.

My podcast preferences tend to lean toward discussions of creativity and entrepreneurship, though NPR’s All Songs Considered receives a special shout out, especially the episode with The 1975’s Matt Healy as guest DJ.

Some of my favorite favorite podcasts include:

Building A Story Brand

Building A Story Brand is a podcast by author and Story Brand biz owner Donald Miller (related: everyone should read Blue Like Jazz). Topics focus on ways small business can help clarify their message and grow their brand.

Magic Lessons

By far my favorite podcast, Magic Lessons by author Liz Gilbert explores creativity with interviews from both aspiring artists and those living their creative dreams. Here’s to hoping for a new season soon! Also, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear is the book genesis of this podcast, and it is INCREDIBLE. Read it!

Girlboss Radio

This podcast by entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso interviews other women biz owners, asking them questions like what their first job was and how their business found success. It’s definitely worth a listen for anyone who dreams of owning their own business.

TED Radio Hour

The thought-provoking topics characteristic of TED Talks, but as podcasts. Yes, please.

2. Learning A Second Language

I took French for two years in college and even got to the point where I could (slowly) read through the first Harry Potter. Then I promptly forgot it all. BUT in an effort to move beyond just saying, “I wish I could speak French,” I’ve decided to use my morning commute as a means to refresh my French.

Learning a language by textbook builds the necessary vocabulary and grammar base you need, but it’s audible learning that makes it possible to listen, understand, and converse in the language. And a morning commute in your car is the perfect place for practice.

Ways I’m refreshing my French include:

Albums

Learn In Your Car: French Level 1

Podcasts

(I haven’t listened to these yet, but these are two podcasts I’ve downloaded and plan on trying out.)

Learn French with Alexa
Learn French with Daily Podcasts

Audiobooks

I haven’t downloaded a French audiobook yet, but I’m looking to download the first Harry Potter and other children’s books in French.

3. New Music

I tend to get stuck in a music rut—not necessarily a bad thing, because I really don’t mind listening to The 1975 on repeat for weeks on end.

BUT this keeps me from discovering new music that I may love just as much. So in order to shake up my music listening routine, I try to regularly add to my “New Tunez” playlist on Apple Music. I find songs through soliciting my music-aware friends for suggestions (The “Youth” playlist from my friend Nick and all of Lane’s playlists from Spotify are prime, including this one she created for That First Year), perusing iTunes recommendations based on my current band preferences, and finding playlists on Spotify, which I then add to my playlist. New tunes definitely improves a routine commute.

Am I missing anything? What do you do to make your morning commute not a waste of time?

Coffee is great. Free coffee is better. Check out 4 Ways To Earn Free Starbucks.
Speaking of music, check out this playlist created exclusively for That First Year by music-trendy Lane.

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The End of An Era: Saying Goodbye to Windrose

Hi friends,

Announcement (sounds so formal, doesn’t it?):

It's the end of an era.

I’ve decided that, after nearly 8 years of telling stories of navigating life, this season of Windrose is drawing to a close.

Even Here: Words for When You're Wandering

When I was 22 years old, I visited the desert for the first time.

A metaphorical desert, if we’re getting technical.

I was fresh out of college, starry-eyed and eager to begin my post-grad life. I had big ‘ole me-centered dreams: a shiny, brag-worthy PR job in the music industry! An apartment with an exposed brick wall that (somehow) would fit an upright piano! A committed relationship with a kind, goofy man!

I got exactly none of those things.

To summarize an entire year’s worth of emotion: I was devastated.

Witching Hour (or, Fighting Off Demons at 3 am with a Box Cutter)

Between the hours of 3 - 4 am, I find myself awakened by nothing in particular. The room is silent. There is no sound outside. No loud car horns. No dogs barking.

I’m upset.

I wish it was something other than just me. Then I could stop it. Nothing is to blame. It feels like moments have passed since I closed my eyes. The moments of a long dreamless sleep last about 4 hours.

A Song for Growth

A year ago, a friend of mine got a job at a well known tech company. He had been slogging through the interviews, and he finally got an offer. Obviously he deserved it. He was a hard worker, and his attitude for success and life was admirable to say the least. I knew he was beyond qualified.

But at the time, I was on a career path I couldn’t see myself being happy in. I had made the mistake of staying in the industry mainly for the money. Every month in the industry was a reminder of how much I did not want to stay. It created a nasty cycle of overthinking and career angst. Feelings of inadequacy and existentialism rooted themselves deep inside me. I couldn’t focus on anything and was utterly disconnected from the work I was doing.

I admit I wasn’t happy for him.

A Song for the In Between

It may be over.

Despite its nature, the concept is definitive. The body is better at preparation than action, so the concept invokes an uncontrolled reaction. The sweaty palms; the rusted coils in the stomach; the feeling of teetering on the edge—my body thinks I’m dying.

It tries to save me from myself. It transforms into a spring to weather elements. Or a boulder. I am hunched, prepared for the event.

But there’s nothing to save me from. My life isn’t in danger. I’m not being chased by a wolf. I sit on the couch. I sit in my chair, still. I am, in theory, perfectly healthy.

Yet my mind paces.

A Song for the Nocturnal

I woke up again and knew I wasn’t going back to sleep.

The alarm wasn’t even close to waking up. The cracked light through my drapes showed the indigo sky—a shade I’ve come to refer to as “you’re not sleeping tonight” blue. I looked at my phone but already knew what it would read before the screen turned on: 3am.

It was the third night in a row I’ve woken up at this time. In the past, options to tackle this insomnia were aplenty: I could go back to sleep after a drink of water. I could read and drift off. I could even play some video games until sleep lulled me back. But lately, my mind pulls the body along a joyride of thought. It starts and doesn’t stop. It has become loud and uncontrollable, like a child. In dead silence this time brings, my mind wakes before my body can at 3am.

3am. Historically, I’ve gotten along with this time.

One could say I’ve preferred the night in my life.

A Song for Embracing the Present Moment

Despite the sun’s rays and the heightened sense of joy in the air that wafted like perfume, I was feeling gray. Over the year, COVID-19 made me uncertain about my future. In my life, like most people, the pandemic revealed certain aspects of life that weren’t previously apparent. Maybe for some it was relationship issues. Maybe it was cabin fever or job uncertainty.

In my case, my career path was no longer clear. I was increasingly aware of this fact as the days dragged on in isolation. Throw in the economic flux of the job market, a splash of consistent restlessness, and you have a cocktail of underlying anxiety.

Caught in a web of thought and analysis-paralysis, I often spent more time pondering the future than acknowledging the present day.

Is This Everything You Wanted, Now That It's Everything You Have?

Is this everything you wanted, now that it’s everything you have?

This question haunts the intro of a song by singer/songwriter Noah Gundersen. At just 2 minutes and 16 seconds, the song is short but packs power like a summer thunderhead. I’ve listened to this song so many times in the last six months, and yet every time I hear it, it does that thing that all good songs do, making your heart feel like it just might burst from an inflation of emotion.

Is this everything you wanted, now that it’s everything you have?

On the surface, yes.

You Can Do Hard Things

“Would you rather be comfortable?” my roommate, Chelsey, asked me.

Work has weighed heavily on me these last several weeks, and on this particular day, I felt like I was on the precipice of a cliffside drop into a panic attack. As I boiled noodles and browned ground turkey, I shared my stresses with my friend as stray tears tried to make a quick getaway from my eyes.

Would I rather be comfortable or challenged?

CareerAlly WillisJuly 6, 2017FeaturedComment