Working Moms
Do you commute?
Currently I have a 10 minute commute; which I LOVE!!! I get so much time with LO after daycare. Problem is that I absolutely HATE my current job.
I am considering applying to a job an hour away, slightly lower salary but in a field I love and know well.
Do you like commuting or would you rather be closer? I would love to get back into a job that I whole heartedly love, but I am not sure about being in the car for 2 hours/day. I live in the north east so snow and ice will make things more difficult in about a month or so. I am thinking that the hour in the car could possibly be relaxing and calming?? Do you enjoy your commute?
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Re: Do you commute?
Good luck with the decision!
I would not consider a job with an hour commute. I have a half hour, and it's perfect... I actually feel like it's a good unwind time. I used to have 45 minutes, and it felt MUCH longer... I think because of the route I had to take.
ETA: I only find it relaxing because it's all back roads with no traffic.
I commute about 40 mins from home in the am. Takes me about 30 mins to get to the daycare in the pm. While I don't enjoy it, I knew what I was getting into when I moved to the suburbs. 75% of it is moving and not stop and go and I only have to deal with rainy weather here and not snow and ice so it's not that bad and I know it could be worse.
While I would love to work much closer to home, I would never work at a job I wasn't content with to do so.
I hate commuting. I will be looker for another job just so that I no longer have to commute. My commute is very relaxing, it's regional transit (train) I live in Ontario so we have snow and ice and bad weather that I don't have to worry about. (even when I get off the train there is an underground path that connects most buildings) Even with all that I still would much rather having more time at home. My job has amazing people, a relaxed atmosphere, great benefits and really is a good place to be, but not enough to make the commute worth it.
When you add up all the travel time you realize you are wasting so much time just getting to work and back. That time could be spent in better ways.
30 minutes each way, and if I could make it shorter I would. I already commute at an "off" time so I don't deal with rush hour... I can't imagine what that would do for my commute!
Some people love to drive, I'm not one of them! If I lived/worked close to a train station then I could see a longer commute being "OK" but I spend enough time away from my kids, I'd rather be closer to home. That being said I don't despise my job, and I can't weigh in on how that might change my willingness to accept a longer commute.
Tough one.. my commute before LO was close to 1.5 hours (with awful traffic, many days took over 2 hours.. sighhhh). However, mileage wise it's only 55ish miles each way.. it's just, commuting through Philly SUCKS. With DS, I come in to work a LOT earlier.. I leave by 6am, usually only takes me an hour and 15 minutes now, and then I leave here around 3:30.. and I'm usually home by 5.. I will do "pickup" duty for DS, which is sort of on the way, but requires me to take a different way home (which is usually worse traffic wise).. I haven't started yet, but I"m hoping the commute home will take me about an hour to get to pick up DS and then 30 minutes home from there, plus whatever tiem it takes to get DS together nad in the car adn such.. we shall see..
I love my job.. but I love my home, too.. moving would break my heart.. so, for now, I deal with the commute..
Good luck with your decision!
I would not switch jobs for a longer commute. I was working an hour away from home and it was Awful! Plus I hated my job as well. I just switched to a new job closer to home that I like much better. Driving in traffic on the highway is not relaxing at all. Unless you live way outside the city, and all the jobs you would be interested are all in the same area, I would keep looking. I know that it sucks working at a job you hate, but since you do in fact have a job, you can afford to be picky and wait for the perfect job to come around. Also keep in mind if you switched a lesser paying job farther away, you will also have increased commuting costs- gas, tolls, maintenance, that will eat into your already reduced salary.
My personal opinion is although you will start off liking the job, you will start to dislike it because of the added stress of losing 2+ hours of your day. There already are not enough hrs in the day and when you spend 2 of them in a car... nope.
The only way I'd consider it if its was a 6 hour work day and you could do the other two from home.
Additionally, you'd be taking a pay cut and paying a lot more for fuel.. The pro's just aren't there in my personal opinion.