This is My Commute

I work in New York City. But I live in northwest New Jersey. My commute is not the toughest one, but it is rather lengthy. At least, I think it is. Now you would expect that I will just tell you how I get in and out of NYC, but that would not convey my experience in its entirety. I shall start with my alarm clock. I have two alarms set for the morning. The first alarm sounds at 5:20. This is my ten minute warning. It tells me, figuratively, "You got ten minutes to get your ass up!" After that, my second alarm sounds at, you guessed it, 5:30. This is the latest I can get up without needing to rush. So I get up and hop into the shower immediately. I have found that getting wet and soapy really wakes me up. Or maybe it is the cold tile floor... Anyway, after my shower I dry off and get dressed.6:00 is the time that I need to make my way to the kitchen. If I get there later than that, again I would have to start rushing. I get into the kitchen and start to make my lunch. Even though toting a food-filled insulated baggie can be a nuisance, I have found that the monetary and carbon savings are well worth the annoyance. After my lunch is made and packed away, I can turn to satiating my hungry stomach.Breakfast, for me, is mostly about speed. Just in case I am rushing, I need a meal that can be consumed quickly without much danger. But it also has to be somewhat healthy and tasty. A bowl of Cheerios and a cup of iced green tea fit this description. So I ingest these provisions, brush my teeth, then leave for work by no later than 6:30.My car is not really my car. It is the family van that my parents have generously allowed me to use. So you might ask, "How does a hip, young male working in Manhattan feel when driving a powder blue '95 Nissan Quest?" I have two answers; I'm not hip and I feel pretty neutral. I have grown accustomed to driving cars that do not conform to my sense of style. Through my years of driving, I have used the cars that either my parents or two older siblings are done using. Which usually means that they are breaking down or will break down...soon. But enough digression; on to the commute.6:30 is when I start driving to the train station. The road I travel is not too difficult, but that is because I am familiar with it. I have been driving it for years. I know its challenges and its graces. The most important aspect I know is where the cops are. But the traffic on weekday mornings is terrible. What would usually take 25 minutes on the weekend takes about 45-60 minutes during rush hour. Which is absolutely awful on my gas mileage. But I do get to the train station eventually and I find my free parking spot. Remember, I am so frugal that I find the free parking lot; which is good, but it is about a quarter-mile away from the train station.I board my usual train at 7:30 and the train departs shortly thereafter. Recently, NJ Transit decided to give my rail line a couple of brand-new multilevel train coaches. These coaches are great for many reasons. The best reasons, I think, include larger seats, more ergonomic seats, and advanced braking. I am a real fan of that last one because now when the train stops at a station, I do not need to brace for impact.This is where the majority of my commuting time is spent. My rail line is a very old line that dates back to the mid 1800s. As a result of older construction techniques, this rail line is of a clearly serpentine nature. Which means a train ride that should take under an hour now takes just under two.My train arrives late, as usual, at New York Pennsylvania Station. By this point it is 9:05, give or take, and I need to be at work at 9:15. This would be no problem if I worked in Midtown. But I don't. So it is. Now a normal person would just take one of the many Subway lines available to get to work on time. If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly normal. So I push myself to walk/run the 20 blocks to get to work. I usually get there in the 9:15-9:20 range. Which I'm alright with because my boss is cool with it.I leave work at 5:45 and the commute home is relatively the same. Only differences are that the train is faster and there are less cars on the road. Seems weird but I am not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth.So to give you the wrap-up and to supply the lazier readers with the Cliff Notes version, I will digest the above and splay the regurgitations. I leave my place at 6:30 and arrive at work at 9:15. I leave work at 5:45 and arrive home at 8:05. Morning commute (2 hours 45 minutes) + Evening commute (2 hours and 20 minutes) = Total commute time of 5 hours and 5 minutes. Methinks a move to a closer apartment is in order.