The Long Commute - Ways to Relish a Necessary Evil

For many people, living space and working requirements mean that long commutes are an inevitable aspect of any career. But perhaps we are failing to make the most of this necessary portion of our daily lives? Arising from this concern, this list attempts to acknowledge some of the most profitable and enjoyable ways to spend these potentially precious hours of free time, and hopefully to relax us both before and after work.

Become An Expert: One advantage of having regular periods of free time is that learning anything, no matter how specific, becomes easy, due to the lack of pressure and the repeated encounters with the subject. Therefore, use your commute to find out about something you always wanted to know; learn to identify birdsong from your MP3 player, take along a list of the regional dates the English monarchs, memorize the Qur'an - turn your commute into a relaxed and absorbing rehearsal for an appearance on Mastermind. Enjoy yourself.

Origami: There are hundreds of origami patterns available on the internet for beginners and those who have long had the patience for this pastime. Set yourself a challenge; a crane in a week, a lily in a fortnight. If people tell you that you've got too much time on your hands, print them out a diagram, and they can criticize you once they've made you a jumping frog.

Become an Encyclopedist: With the advent of online encyclopedias, anyone can get involved in providing data on an almost infinite range of subjects. We needn't be professors in order to contribute to this mass of learning and discussion; correction and development both play a huge part in the maintenance of such knowledge bases. Find an article which is a 'stub' (one without sufficient depth or substance) which you can edit on paper, and take part in educating the entire world from your train seat.

Take Up Knitting: So, the chaps might think this one is pushing the limits a little, but knitting has made something of a comeback in recent years, and there's no more apt time to refamiliarize yourself with it than on a long train journey. There are tons of patterns available free online: simply print your favourite, take it with you, and get cracking - you never know, you could even foist your creations off on your loved ones as unexpected presents: who ever said you weren't spontaneous?

Start a Mobile Chess Tournament: For this you need a travel chess set, a table seat, and a little initial pluck. You can fall back on a chess problem if you lose your nerve at the last minute, so use a colour inkjet printer to print one out and smuggle it on board as if you meant to use it all along. Be blatant - set up right out in the open, and when you see the reluctant gleam of interest in someone's eyes, see if they wouldn't perhaps go for a cheeky match. For those so inclined, there is not a single thing more absorbing and endlessly entertaining than a good game of chess, and you might even be thanked for your courage in setting the gambit up.

As the competitive element of our working lives becomes more and more entrenched, we could begin to see a broadening of commute times overall, in which case even more dramatic solutions would be necessary to fend off boredom: Aisle-Seat Yoga? Who knows. Still, hopefully this short list will provide a few ideas to fill the blanks of your daily round trip.

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