On Being Happy
My latest co-op has been an interesting one.
I’m working for SAIC down at their Chantilly, VA location but live in Columbia, MD. This results in a 112 mile daily commute through agonizingly slow traffic along the DC beltway (up to 3 hours in one direction when there is a bad accident). Add the long commute to an intern’s hourly wage slowly being strangled by the cost of rent ($500 monthly), food (~$200 monthly), and increasing gas prices (~$300 monthly) compounded by living 2,500 miles from my nearest family member and one can find themselves feeling overwhelmed.
There are however factors that make it bearable, even rewarding, and I hope that sharing them will help someone in a similar position:
First, I know this is temporary. I have committed to this situation for six months, and the amount I am learning about the professional world is invaluable. (For example, guess who is going to avoid a long commute if at all possible in the future? That’s right, yours truly. It just isn’t worth it.)
Second, I’m making connections in a very job-hot sector. Washington DC has got to be the easiest location to get a job at any level if you just know a couple people. Everyone here is so interconnected that just throwing out an e-mail to a friend or old manager is bound to net you a reply of a job opening in their company or one of the other agencies they routinely interact with. Managers talk, and are always looking for talented people.
Third, the commute is completely handled by your mindset. At first I was frustrated, tense, and bored just sitting in my car every day. Then I purchased an FM transmitter for my MP3 player and things changed. Now, while I wouldn’t say I look forward to my commute, I don’t dread it either. Audio books, lectures in various subjects from respected professors, and stretching my brain to extend my comprehension of German now occupy my time. It is actually kind of relaxing, and the time passes pretty quickly now. (Just remember to pack a water bottle and snacks! :) )
Fourth, I am recouping my gas costs by working overtime. I come in and leave early most days, but Thursdays and Fridays have the worst traffic by far, so I stay for two or three hours after my normal leaving time and work through the traffic. This time is my most productive because the weekend is close and no one is around, and getting paid 1.5x my hourly wage for these couple of hours really help when paying at the pump.
Fifth and most importantly, a lifestyle change. Specifically, I now make better use of my free time and balance the amount of time allocated to different activities. Number one on this list is spending time with my girlfriend. Being gone for 12 hours out of a day results in missing out on a lot of shared time, so I make it a point to use my two to four hours of daily free time to do things with her. Lately, we’ve been eating dinner, walking the dog, and either jogging around a loop nearby or to the library to get more books to keep moving. Then we wrap things up with back rubs and watching an episode of whatever TV show we are in the mood of before going to bed. It is amazing! If you aren’t spending quality time with your family and loved ones, you are missing out on something huge. Number two but equally important has been an attitude adjustment from my old style of skeptical and negative to skeptical and positive. Just giving people the benefit of the doubt and being a nicer person has made me feel a lot better about myself and my situation. It seriously has made me a happier person in general. Number three is personal enrichment. While you always feel busy and overworked, I’m learning that when you look back on yourself you can’t believe how much free time you had and wasted. I’m stopping that cycle and using my free time now to read more, spend more time outside enjoying the sun, and enjoy the company of others - because honestly the thing that has made me the most happy with my life is by making myself happy. It works.
