It seems like one of the biggest complaints people have when considering what they would like to do as opposed to what they actually do on a daily basis, is time. “If only I had the time to go the gym” or “If only I could find the time to read” it seems as if people like to believe that there simply aren’t enough ticks of the clock to cram a fulfilling life into one day. Whereas I’m sure there are people that really are just that busy, I’m going to take an educated guess here and say that it’s probably simply not true. Allow me to digress for a moment.

I spend a good amount of time in transit. I’m not just talking about daily commutes or vacations. Ever since I graduated high school I’ve been in a perpetual state of (locational) transition. In the Bay Area I’ve lived on the Peninsula, In Marin, and the East Bay. I went to school and lived in Oregon for several years.  I’ve even lived in other countries: I spent 6+ months in New Zealand riding my bike around the country. Not bad for the last 6 years. For me, one of the greatest joys in life is experiencing a new place.

My latest pick-up-and-go has landed me in the charming small town of Port Costa. When I mean small, I mean small. Most people say a town is tiny when you can only find 1 Starbucks and people still walk to the post office . Port Costa has a population of 190 people, as of the 2010 census and has no Starbucks. No coffee at all, actually. Its a 1 street, one bar kind of town.

Whats so unique about Port Costa is how remarkably close to everywhere it is while at the same time feeling genuinely remote. The 2 roads that service the town are windy and narrow. It is surrounded by farmland. The train rolls through town a few times an hour - an abrupt reminder of the passing of time, you really can lose your sense of reality here. Yet, the town in less than 5 miles from I-80, a few more to I-680. Berkeley and Walnut creek are within a 30 minute drive away. You could throw a rock across the delta and hit Vallejo/Benicia. Still, for someone that works in San Francisco, like myself, Port Costa would probably feel like a far away place thats kinda close to other far away places. That’s fair, its true. Does it take a long time to get to downtown? You bet. But that’s the beauty of it - I feel that it gives me time rather than take away from it.

A lot of people ask me how I can stand such a long commute. It’s simple. I make the commute enjoyable, healthy and stimulating. Lets cut to the chase - I ride my bike to Lafayette, and take the BART into SF. What does this provide me? Round trip,

2 Hours on the bike and 80 minutes on BART, which translates to:

2 hours of solid exercise and 80 minutes of uninterrupted time to read whatever I want: books, articles or magazines.

As a bonus:

$0 in gas.

2 runner’s highs.

There aren’t any self-help books out there that would not recommend finding the time to do what I do just getting to work every day in order to be healthier and happier. Instead of struggling to find the time, I make sure I have no choice. Let’s face it, we’re all lazy. If I didn’t have to, I probably would get a lot less exorcise  and read fewer books.

Try moving out to the boonies. You might actually find it gives you more time than you think.