Driving is tedious. My commute is about 30 minutes which isn’t terribly long, but it can certainly still get tiresome. At first I enjoyed my uninterrupted hour of jamming out in my car going to and from work, but after a while I got really tired of listening to the same bands and the same songs over and over again. So, I started looking for some new ways to change up my commute and make it less boring. Below is a list of things I have tried to make my commute more interesting and some things I haven’t tried but that I think would be great.
Find a New Podcast
Podcasts have been a growing trend for a while now, and I just recently decided to hop on this bandwagon and I have not been disappointed. For those who may not know, podcasts are audio files that are uploaded to the internet for others to listen to. Typically, podcasts are set up in series like TV shows and they can cover a wide range of topics like crime stories, mythological stories, body building and really anything else you can think of.
Personally, I love listening to The Daily which is a daily podcast from the New York Times that covers current events. Typically the host will choose one trending topic to discuss and then bring in experts to talk about it with him. I’ve only been listening to this podcast for a few weeks and I already feel much more educated on current events.
Accessing podcasts is very simple and free. If you have an iPhone all you have to do is go into the podcast app (which comes preloaded on every iPhone) and start searching for podcasts to listen to. If you have an Android there are several apps you can download to listen to podcasts. Podcast Addict and Spotify are good places to start, however, if you can’t find any podcasts you like on these apps you can always do a little more digging around the Google Play store to find a podcast app that is suitable for you.
Listen To Books on Tape
While listening to books on actual tapes may not be incredibly feasible, or the simplest solution in today’s world there are several services available that will give you the option to listen to prerecorded books on your morning commute. If you’re an iPhone user you can simply use the iTunes app (another stock app that comes on all iPhones). If you’re an Android user you can always download the Kindle app or search around for another ebook service, the same goes for iPhone users if you don’t like the selection on the iTunes store.
Unlike podcasts many audio books can cost money, however, you may be able to find some of the more obscure books for free. But, if you’re an avid reader, or if you’re simply trying to read more books this year, audio books are definitely a fantastic option for spicing up your commute.
Try a New Band
Sometimes making your commute more enjoyable can be as simple as listening to a new band. Personally, I like to stream all of my music from Spotify, so when I want to find a new band, I look through their discover tab to find artists related to the ones I already know I like. This is a great way to expand your musical taste and to try something new.
Now that you have many new options, consider kicking off your commute with a fresh start to rev up you day.
