Casey Boland

How long is your commute to work?

For eight months, I drove 70 miles. One way. In the beginning, such a drive didn’t faze me. But as the weeks wore on, I began to feel the effects. The lack of sleep, physical activity and meaningful interactions with other humans took a deleterious toll. You’d think sitting in a car for 1.5-3 hours would not be tiring. Yet I’d return home late, beaten and unable to do much but collapse into the couch. I could hardly muster the strength to complete an email let alone any substantial writing projects.

And let’s not address the crushing horror that is the New Jersey Turnpike on a Friday in summer. That proved one of the final straws (the other being my supervisor explaining that my position would remain temp and not become full-time as originally promised). I (somehow) quickly found a new job one mile from home.

This has been a profound improvement in my quality of life. I enjoy extra hours each day. I went from spending $300+ per month on commuting to exactly $0 (not counting the umbrella that snapped and fluttered to the ground like a dead bat during a freak, tornado-like rainstorm).

Given the current economy, it’s likely many will drive further than I once did. We all need to do what we can to weather the storms of finances and life. But there is real joy in being able to shorten the commute. There is more joy in having time- for whatever it is we want to do, not what we need to do.

That’s blues as in the music, not the sorrow. I’m hunkering down on a rain-soaked night with Howlin’ Wolf and assorted writing projects. As noted in the last post, I’ve had more time to write. You can check out two recent music features over at Verbicide Magazine: Mice Parade and Corin Tucker, from the legendary Sleater-Kinney. Plenty more to come.

Thanks to eight months at a job 70 miles from home, I’ve been remiss in keeping you in the loop on my writing adventures. But beginning September 7th, I’ll be checking in regularly. 1.0 mile commute to new job = more time to write. And post blog updates.

Since my now former company shuttered a month ago, I’ve kept busy writing. That means a long feature on the band Thursday, a healthy interview with John Baizley of Baroness, several reviews including Lightning Bolt and an old interview with the late great Q and Not U. I am also actively (meaning 30+ hours per week) seeking new employment. If you have any leads for administrative or public/media relations positions at a university, hit me up!

I write. I edit. I’ve done both the better part of ten years. Please click on the tabs above for samples of how I spent the past decade. I’ve contributed to Alternative Press, Decibel, Wonkavision, Verbicide, Clamor, Punk Planet and plenty of other magazines and websites. I tend to write about music, politics, society and culture. Please contact me with any thoughts, suggestions, requests or proposals at williamcboland@gmail.com.