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Comment by 1over137 | Hacker News Reader

2 hour commute! Is that typical in the USA? Is it necessary? Preferable?

My bike ride to my office is 10 minutes. I miss my commute.

Talk about privilege here. Just this week I've receive an e-mail from my employer stating that due to the influx of Ukrainian immigrants most of the main cities are full and people are encouraged to look for accommodation in nearby satellite cities. I'm used to 2 hours commute stripping away 4 hours of my free time. Not US. Good luck finding accommodation near business centers.

What if you go for a bike ride in the morning instead?

Same logic as you. I missed my walk between work and home. Now I walk 20 minutes after the end my shift in remote before coming back home.

Some people (such as myself) rely on the somewhat enforced structure of going into the office to "attach" other life things onto, like exercise and going out. Without that structure, i'm miserable.

Seems like a larger personal issue with discipline that you could work out on your own vs enforcing this on your coworkers for your own convenience

How am I enforcing anything on my coworkers? I don’t control the policy at my place of work. I’m merely expressing a preference.

This isn't a personal attack, we all live our lives differently, but in my opinion that attitude is holding back a lot of people. It used to hold me back. People who 's main social life is their coworkers, rely on the structure to keep them healthy, need the commute because it's their only quiet time, etc.

Everyone can have all of these things and work from home 100% of the time. It requires greater self awareness, self control, and communication with your family. That can be easier said than done, but if its accomplished it is in all ways better than relying on wasting a large portion of your day in a building you wouldn't otherwise want to be in every day.

I'm not entirely sure what communication with my family would have to do with it. But honestly if there's one thing I don't think anyone would accuse me of is a lack of self-awareness. I know how my motivations work, and I know that the structure of physically _having_ to leave the house is beneficial for me.

My main social life has never been my coworkers, it's been the salsa parties I used to go to 4-5 nights a week, primarily after work. If I'm already in town, it's significantly easier to motivate myself to go to them.

It is not typical. The average commute is closer to half an hour.

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