Free Time

For most of 2 school years, I had a loooong commute. Now, we Detroiters are used to long commutes. Driving is how we 'drive' the MI economy. Without cars, we're all out of a job.
But still, 2-3 hours per day, sometimes in stop-and-go traffic, sometimes through 8" puddles, sometimes across precarious bridges, sometimes through narrow mountain passes had become rather exhausting. Few North Americans, outside of southern California, ever have that kind of commute.

So... since I no longer live in Metepec but instead in an apartment building just meters from the school, the popular question now is:
"What are you doing with ALL your free time, now?" Implying that I now have 2 to 3 hours of extra time every day when I used to be driving.

Honestly, I also thought I'd have lots of free time.
I had planned to wake up early, with the sun, and actually make time for exercise and spiritual reflection before school. I had planned to get home early from work with time to bask in the sunshine, reading a novel. I had planned to spend my weekend scrapbooking memories of my time in Mexico.

Yeah, not so much.

Problem #1: While I no longer drive for 2-3 hours per day, a bus trip to the buy groceries, register my cell phone, print my pictures, or pick up something I need for school will take me about 2 hours, even though the location of these places is about 5-10 km away.

Problem #2: With daylight savings time, the sun is barely up before I leave for school, and I am not so motivated to get out of bed before the sun unless I really really have to do it (and most days, I do have to shower and eat before the sun is up. but I don't have to exercise or meditate...)

Problem #3: I spent my first week in the apartments without power. So we spent a lot of time and energy getting electricity from alternate sources, or using as much electricity as possible during the hours when it was on.

Problem #4: I had previously used my car time to my best advantage - listening to books, talking on the phone, buying cell phone minute cards from the guy on the corner. So now, all of those activities are still happening, even though I'm not in the car, so that is not really time 'gained'.

In short, I spent most of my first week settling in, and most of my second week doing school work. Not really exercising, or praying, or relaxing, or scrapbooking. Just living like I normally do.

I'm going to try again in May.