I commute. Every Day. For a total of 2.5 hours. I like to think I've mastered this art.
Here are tips to making your commute easier on you:
1. Tide To-Go Pen
Literally a life saver. There is nothing worse than getting knocked into on your way to the office by the lawyer on the phone that is unaware that his elbow is the size of the Empire State Building; coffee in hand (obvi). You're NEW white blouse/chunky cable knit sweater/blazer now has tan streaks and smells like a cheap Starbucks (not a terrible thing but not ideal)...
This summer a woman walked into me causing me to shower myself with iced coffee (yum!) while wearing WHITE PANTS (not so yum). Emotional breakdown commence. I immediately used my Tide to-go pen and seltzer - every single drop of coffee was out of my pants within minutes. No exaggeration. I have witnesses.
Tide to-go pens will forever be on every wishlist I make for the holidays.
2. Extra Chargers
INVEST IN CHARGERS! This is #2 on my list for reasons beyond the obvious: safety. I cannot tell you how many times I've gotten to Grand Central or Penn Station (ugh) and the trains are backed up and I'm down to 2% battery on my phone and my iPad is giving me that stupid red battery sign - it won't even turn on. OR you're already on the train and it just decides to break down for kicks. There's snow. The trains too cold. There's a "signal" problem. It's 2014, you can get your signals straight people. Anyway, you wait an hour just for the conductors to realize they can't fix the problem and then you're waiting for the "back-up train". You're phones dead. No Instagram. No Pinterest. No Facebook. Hell.
Always have a charger on you.
3. Always Have a Book
This should be obvious from my rant above in #2. Technology isn't perfect. iPads and Kindles stop working sometimes. Your app freezes. Your device needs to be charged. You have no service. You want to actually feel what it's like to read a good 'ole paperback.
Always have a book.
4. Get the "this-app-tells-you-train-times-even-though-we're-sometimes-wrong" App
I know, I know - if the trains can't even get their signals straight what makes you trust their app, right? Well, surprisingly A LOT. I commuted for a few months right after college from NJ to the City and I now commute from CT to the city. I had the NJTransit app and now the Metro North app. Out of all my cranky mornings, delayed trains, broken down trains, and the-AC-is-broken trains these apps have only been wrong ONCE.
The best thing about these is that they tell you what track your train is coming on. You KNOW that is helpful. Playing the track guessing game is the worst. Especially when you're in heels. How can you Hulk Hogan your way to the front of the train if you're 50 yards away and in heels because you GUESSED the wrong track? Cringe worthy.
5. Use a Tote/Messenger Bag
I'm not saying this tip is always fashionable. I'm not even saying it's one I always follow. I'm just saying it'll make your commuting life a lot better.
Compartments are your friend. They hold the Tide to-go pens. The chargers. The iPad. The book. And my favorite: the snacks!
Everything has a place and there's tons of room to throw in things only commuters can understand: your entire make-up bag because you're running late and don't have time to put it on at home, extra shoes because it's cold and you're in your Uggs (they're hideous but the most comfortable things ever, #sorryimnotsorry), your homemade lunch because you're trying to save money to move out, a cardigan due to your freezing office, and an extra shirt to wear for the happy hour you're going to after work.
My biggest piece of advice would be: don't feel guilty for spending money on things to make your commute more enjoyable. You work hard and deserve to enjoy these couple hours to yourself! Commuting doesn't have to be negative. Read, sleep, relax! And well, yeah, drink.
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