I am a certified commuter. I travel from north to south everyday using all kinds of public transportation. From jeepneys to tricycle, from bus to trains. It is a very exhasuting three to four hour ride plus endless walking. Maybe you can call what i’m doing determination or passion, or maybe i am just crazy. So I have created a list of things you can be or things you will do when you are traveling from home to work everyday, like me. This may be pure sarcasm so please take these with a grain of salt.

1. A fresh and bright face – Not. When you ride the public transportation, expect your face to be covered in smoke and dust. Your hair will be all over your face and it wiil accumulate all the pollution the world has to offer. And if you’re lucky enough, you will be drenched in heavy rain or the heat will melt all your makeup you worked hard for hours. You will end up arriving in the office looking like a drag. Unless you wear an astronaut’s spacesuit.

2. Feels like in the movies – You will feel like you’re part of a film production when you are in the train station and when you are on the platform it looks like it’s scene wherein you are leaving the love of your life (or in my case my home because i’m going to my workplace). Then the train comes along and it matches the dramatic dramatic background music you are playing in your iPod. Especially when you incessantly play The Script and Temper Trap like me. You hope that the soulmate you’ve been waiting for will magically appear in front if you in slow motion. But when you ride the city bus, there is this creepy feeling that it’s gonna explode because there is an antagonist after you, just like in the movies. Your friday nights are also like an actual episode of How I Met Your Mother or New Girl.

3. Thinking chair – On the bus or while walking, it is the time to wonder all the things happening and is ahead of you. You weigh down things between what is worth and what is not. You shake away the blame and failures and try to think of ways to be better. You overthink about your actions and words that have been said or done. You feel a sense of wanderlust everytime you are in a state of solitude. You are impeccable about your self-growth (or lack thereof) drowning you in a toxic gnarly spiral of self-loathing thus making you feel more miserable and worthless. Blame anything Adele-related for being melancholy for no reason!

4. Meet new people – Yes you will meet a lot of people. People who are rude. People who will push you for no reason, both literally and figuratively. People who will stare at you aimlessly. People who sells on the streets to make a living. People who are rushing to work and not taking their time to look at the beautiful clouds. People who are old enough but still trying to beg for food or money. People who are striving to survive. People who will talk about you behind your back (or worse in front of you). People who demand too much and expect you to be perfect. People who will blame you for your shortcomings. People who have no respect to you. Okay im talking too much. Maybe you’ll just meet a person drinking coffee.

5. See the truth – You will understand that life isn’t easy. Commuting everyday keeps my feet on the ground (not literally) because i accept that i can’t always get what i want. I have to work hard to land on my real dream and i have to endure all the curveballs thrown at me to live a life of purpose. I see everyday the naked truth that some people are fighting a hard battle than me and this makes me want to practice more gratitude and compassion.

This is what i want. I can endure long hours of exhaustion and travel because i want to see my family everyday. They make me the happiest and they take my stress away from work. The four things i have mentioned aren’t actually perks but maybe, just maybe, traveling isn’t all about the destination. It’s the journey and everything in between.