For those of us who are working for free this summer, also known as ”interning,” it can be almost impossible to live where you work without an income. So what’s our only option? Stay at home, or with the closest relative to your place of work, and commute every single day of this blazingly hot summer. Now, I’m not usually one to complain, but when I realize that I could get 3 extra hours of sleep every single night if I lived in NYC, it’s a little difficult to be excited about my morning/evening commute. Before I get on the 7:17 am train every morning, I sit and reflect on how I can make my day better. The best thing to do, I’ve discovered, is to make the most out of my travel time! I am lucky enough to absolutely love my internship, and I’ve found that it has helped me tremendously to use my travel time as “me time” so that I am not overwhelmed at the end of the day. Below are my favorite things to do in transit from home to work, and back again.

1. READ: The best way to lose yourself and relax is to open up a good book or magazine. I like to have two books going at a time, one purely for pleasure and the other as semi-educational. As far as magazines/newspapers go, during this election year it is important for our generation to be informed, but not overwhelmed, with information. Switch back and forth between the NY Times and Rent the Runway’s Summer Lookbook.

2. Listen to music: Sometimes when you just don’t feel like chatting, the best thing to do is close your eyes and throw your headphones in. No matter what you like to listen to, music will relieve your brain from the running thoughts and concerns that you’ve been exposed to at work all day. NEVER be embarassed about what works best to calm you down…for example, Broadway showtunes calm ME down!

3. Have a conversation: If you are working at a place that doesn’t do a lot of talking during the day (maybe a trading desk or an accounting firm), step outside the box on the train and talk to a stranger! Not necessarily someone you would be concerned about talking to, but if you see someone that looks interesting, start up a simple conversation…you’ll be surprised at how relaxing it can be to learn new things about new people.

Even though you may think it’s the worst thing to be doing, commuting opens doors for saving money (once you start making it) and meeting new people! It’s not always easy to be fabulous while commuting in heels. ;)


Alicia D has 6 post(s) on RTR On Campus