Hey there,
With the sunny weather in Germany last week, I was able to integrate a lot of training time into my commute to and from work. This got me thinking about the importance of one’s journey to work. For me, there are several options for getting to work. Luckily, I no longer depend on my car. During my master’s thesis, my commute involved at least 30 minutes of driving. The route took me directly through the center of Stuttgart, which often resulted in traffic jams and accidents, making the drive unpleasant. Taking the train wasn’t much better due to unreliable connections and an even longer journey of almost an hour.
Now, my commute consists of a 20-minute bus ride and a total of 15 minutes of walking. Fortunately, the bus takes an empty route without any delays, making it very reliable. The second option is driving, which would result in less walking and a shorter overall time. However, my train ticket effectively costs me around 21€ per month, making it a no-brainer for me to stick with public transportation. The third option is cycling or even running home. In both cases, it’s about a 15 km journey. The shower at work is a bit of a letdown, but it gets the job done. Last week, I commuted three times, twice by bike and once by bus, and on my way back, I included a run home.
I’ll have to see how the colder months affect this routine and whether I can still motivate myself to cycle in the autumn and winter. However, I appreciate having the option to include my commute in my training schedule, which gives me more time to spend with my family, friends, or other hobbies.
It will be interesting to see how my routine develops over time and how other influential circumstances, like dropping off kids before work, impact the morning commute, which can often feel like wasted or "dead time."
Beyond my personal experience, I think the option to lease bikes through your employer, which some companies in Germany offer, is a good way to encourage more people to cycle to work or even during their free time. Combined with the rise of remote work, it’s also interesting to see how the commute might become less of a factor or even be eliminated if people only go to the office once a week. It will be fascinating to see how these dynamics change in the future with less need to be physically present in the office.
I know options and possibilities vary greatly for each individual, making some things just impossible. That’s why I’d like to know what your journey to work looks like and how big of a factor it is when applying for or accepting a new job.
Safe Commute,
Robin