This past summer, I worked in D.C. for my internship, which meant that I would be taking the metro to get to and fro from work. After a week of driving to the metro station through typical D.C region traffic and paying too much money for parking, I decided to also start using the bus to get to the metro station. The time spent on busses and metros showed me how much I loved taking public transportation, whether it be busses, subways, trains, metros, or even the airplane (if that even counts). Here are 3 reasons why I do:

1. The Motion

This may not make sense to some people, but I’ve noticed that many public transportation vehicles rock back and forth when they move- it’s probably the most evident with trains, but I can feel it in almost any public transportation vehicle. I feel this rhythmic motion to be quite comforting, and it helps me fall asleep in a heartbeat. Especially on airplanes, I find that I can get quite stressed over minor things so to help me relax and fall asleep, I often wait for turbulence to occur. The minute that announcement comes on from the pilot saying we’re about to hit a little rough patch, I put away everything and pull out my blanket and close my eyes. By the end of the turbulence, I am almost guaranteed to be fast asleep.

2. The People

I, Nandini, am a major people-watcher and I am not ashamed to say it. I don’t watch people for the sake of watching, it’s just that I am a very observant person and sometimes when I need to be silent, I find myself analyzing everything around me. I find that this habit tends to humble me as I notice people rushing about to each of their events and I realize that it is very easy for me to get stuck in my own head. Looking around makes me see that everyone has their own life and their own problems and in the larger sense of things, our problems are never as bad as they may seem. Sometimes you see people that are clearly less fortunate than you in the money sense but they look happier and comfortable in their own skin. These sights motivate me to see the best in my own life situations and to learn to be happy in the moment, wherever I am.

3. The Inspiration

As I had mentioned in my last article, I had recently hit a major wall in terms of writing. However, travelling and actually getting up and moving away from a location often helps clear my mind. This doesn’t just go for writing, but for anything that troubles me. Sometimes, thoughts take over my head and I can’t gain perspective until I am physically away from the location that is causing me such trouble. Time away can do wonders and it’s not always affordable, but sometimes even the simplest of bus rides can make a difference for me.