Think your daily journey to work is tough? One individual just might redefine your concept of a difficult commute.
While many people are still holding on to the benefits of working from home, a significant number have resumed their daily travel to the office.
Once again, we find ourselves spending countless hours crawling through rush-hour traffic or cramped in public transport with music playing loudly from someone’s device, sans headphones.
It’s no coincidence that the words ‘travel’ and ‘travail,’ which means something arduous or unpleasant, share a common origin.
For the majority, these journeys remain within the bounds of the same city, or perhaps from a nearby suburb or town.
Yet, one man’s commute is on a scale far beyond the norm.
Meet Daniel Rodriguez, the ‘super commuter’ who travels approximately 800 miles from Philadelphia to Atlanta for work.
At 34, Daniel is a project manager for an urban design company and embarked on his extensive commute in May this year.
Despite living in Philadelphia with his wife, Daniel found it challenging to secure employment in the city, prompting him to widen his job search area.
This eventually led to a job opportunity in Atlanta.
You might be wondering why Daniel and his family didn’t relocate to Atlanta, as it often seems logical to move for work opportunities.
However, due to an unusual economic situation, they realized that the cost of living in Atlanta was so high that continuing to live in Philadelphia was more economical. Daniel opted to make the long trip to Atlanta once a week for his hybrid role that combines home and office work.
He usually spends 2-3 days per week in Atlanta, returning home to Philadelphia for the remaining days.
The journey is multi-modal, involving a train, a bus, and a plane, each way.
“I’m working from the airport, I’m working from the plane,” he shared with CNBC. “I try to fit as much life into this as possible.”
On commuting days, Daniel wakes up at 3:30 a.m. to catch a train to the airport for a 5:30 a.m. flight, followed by another train ride and a walk to the office, where he arrives between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
His weekly transportation costs amount to about $240, and he also pays $400 monthly to stay at a friend’s place in Atlanta.
Surprisingly, he prefers this method over driving. It’s ‘less stressful overall than committing to driving to work every day, stuck in traffic, angry,’ he explains.