Back when my adLenture was in its naive infancy, I started experimenting with different ways of commuting to work. I also promised that my 40 Day Challenge would see me try out other new travel methods. Day 27 saw me fulfill this promise, as I put the feet God gave me to good use and walked to work.
I imagine you’re probably thinking: what’s especially challenging about that? Well, I’ll admit that the idea of a leisurely stroll through North London might at first seem as simple as a walk in the park (quite literally). However, walking to work means a race against the clock. With a start time of 9am, I would have to calculate my commute carefully. Also – as you may remember from Day 3’s entry – I live a good 5 miles away from my office. Google told me the walk would take over 90 minutes. Add a bit extra for the potential period of getting lost, and suddenly I’m setting my alarm for 6.30am.
Now, I am not a morning person. So this early start was never going to be easy. What’s more, my good intentions of getting an early night had inevitably been ignored, and there I was: forcing myself awake after very little sleep. With a 2 hour walk ahead of me. Blurgh.
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| Cross-Capital Commute |
I set off, blinded by the sunrise, and zombie-walked my way down to the busy main road. Except I didn’t find a busy main road. At that time of the day, the normally bustling Hornsey Road was still shut up, with only a few people on the streets. Most of these people were like me, starting their working day uncomfortably early. And then there were the scary minority: the hardcore party-goers returning home after daybreak. I smiled sympathetically at this lot, having been in that situation more than once before. I think I scared them. Camaraderie was clearly not welcome here.
After a mile or so, London began to come alive. Buses were fuller and traffic was louder. I too had woken up a bit more, and by this point was able to walk past the more crowded bus stops with a smug grin. Although tempted to shout out “Bus Wankers” in homage to The Inbetweeners, didn’t really fancy a smack from a tired commuter.
My haughtiness didn’t last long. Thinking I could beat the bus by taking a shortcut through Hoxton, I strayed from my planned route. In the immortal words of Julia Roberts: “Big mistake. Huge.” Five minutes later, I was wandering around East London with no smart phone and therefore struggling to find my way back on track. I was in completely unchartered territory and had lost sight of any other walking commuters. Time was passing. I was beginning to panic.
Fortunately, I caught a glimpse of The Gherkin, the city’s most infamous building. Like a moth to a flame, I averted my course to pursue this beacon of hope, and eventually found myself in the thick of the business district, not far from my office. Thank heavens for capitalist architecture! I arrived at work on time, refreshingly awake and feeling ready for a day at work. Perhaps I’ll keep going with this new commute!*
Day 27: Walk to work. DONE!
Peace & Love,
Rich xx
*This had not happened. Setting my alarm at 6.30 for a second time seemed laughable by the end of the day. #emptypromise.
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