Life update:
We bought a new place last year and moved to this place a month ago.
Second-order effects on the life update.
- We moved from Koramangala to Harlur. I’ve been living in Koramangala from 2010 to 2023. Not just that, we’ve limited our life to Koramangala and moving to a different place is just odd.
- My sleep cycle got much better now. I have to sleep early and get up early (around 7:00 AM) to avoid traffic.
- Traveling to the office just got interesting with so many modes (car, bus, cab, walk)
Life was easier for the last few years. Walking from home to the office used to take exactly 12 mins. Traffic or no other external factors couldn’t change anything this number. In fact, I could step out of the house at 9:45 AM for a 10:00 AM call in the office.
After the move to Harlur, a few more options got added. The first one is to drive to the office. While it appears to be the most comfortable option, traffic starts killing you slowly. For example, the following happened one of the days I missed a whole lot of meetings (in fact, this was when I started from home around 8:30 AM). Once it takes 35 mins to drive 2 km, you start exploring new alternatives.
The next option is to take an Uber/Ola to the office. While this option exists in theory, practically this never worked. You can wait for a cab for hours and have multiple drivers cancel on you. Once I remember waiting for 1 hour for a cab and finally giving up. This probably is the worst option of all.
I never even assumed the option of walking existed. The walk from the office to him is about 9 km and takes more than an hour. But once I did this for the first time, it was easy to continue doing this every day.
In fact, walking was so much fun that I even did this twice (back and forth) once. The best day and I was even was able to finish an entire book while walking. The only challenge is the exposure to so much dust after walking. I think it does make me fall sick once in a while.
The last option is to take a bus. This is for sure a fun option. Walking to the bus stop involves a good 30min walk (a little of a risk crossing the road). There is enough peaceful thinking time on the bus (with or without a seat). It is for sure a cheaper option, but whenever the ticket is 15 or 25, I have to give a coin, which is not so great.
| Factor | Car (drive) | Car (Uber) | Walk | Bus |
| Time Taken | 30 mins (best case for travel) to 90mins (worst case) | 40 mins (best case for Uber wait time + travel time) to forever (you never get a Uber) | 100 mins | 70 mins |
| Physical Fitness | Nothing | Nothing | Extreme | Right amount |
| Mental Happiness | Annoying | VERY annoying | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Cost | Rs 50 (thanks to EV) | Rs 600 | 0 | Rs 40 |
| Exposure to Dust | Nil | Nil | Lot | Little |
So, everyday morning, my checklist happens to go like this
- Do I have 2 hours before the first meeting and is not too hot? If yes, then walk
- Do I have 1.5 hours before the first meeting? Doesn’t matter if the weather is bad. Bus works.
- If neither of them works, suffer the traffic and drive to the office.
This is a decision I take every day I go to the office and makes life interesting every morning.