I traveled for 8 hours to be somewhere for 3 hours. It was my most productive day in weeks.
Today I went to my friend’s party in East Hampton. The train ride between New York’s Penn Station and East Hampton is 2.5-3 hours. When I factor travel to and from each train station, total travel time is about 4 hours each way.
Time at the party: approximately 3.5 hours.
Total travel time: 8 hours.
On the surface, this appears to be an inefficient use of time.
In a world focused on how we can get to our destination faster, spending 8 hours of travel time to be somewhere for 3.5 hours seems foolish.
But to view it as such would be to miss the entire point: the journey is the destination.
The party was great. I had fun connecting with friends I haven’t seen in a while. I met new people.
But if I’m being honest, the party was just an excuse to get on a train for several hours.
I love trains. They are the only place where external environment — the passing scenery — moves faster than my mind.
What I needed was a no thinking day. No inputs. No outputs. No decisions.
Of course, I could have used the train time to be more “productive.” I could have brought a book or worked on writing projects. I could have listened to podcasts. But that’s not what I needed.
What I needed was mind rest.
Constructive rest.
I did no work. I did not even pretend to do work. I did not read a book. I did not listen to a podcast.
I listened to music. I let my mind wander. I reflected. I meditated. I daydreamed. I cleared my mind. I connected with myself. I gave myself space to just BE.
I tapped into stillness and connected with my inner wisdom. I connected with my breath and gazed out the window. It’s like an open-eye meditation: seeing my inner and outer world with more clarity.
In this state, everything falls away. I experienced floods of various emotions in quick succession. Pure presence.
6 hours on a train. Eyes wide open. Gazing at the world. Clearing my mind.
It was the most productive day I’ve had in weeks.
Hi Renée,
Loved this article. I ride the train for 50 minutes to and from work each day, and everyone always says I must hate the commute. Nope, I love it! It’s “me” time.
PS- I tried to send an email but your contact form is broken. Is there a better way to reach you?
Thanks!
Crystal
Thanks for commenting, Crystal!! I have been having the site worked on. The contact form should be working now, but you can feel free to email me also at my first name at my full name (dot) com.