In the mornings, the trains are very frequent (roughly once every 8 minutes) so you never really wait too long. Plus, if you miss a train, you can stop and grab a coffee to make up the difference in time. I get on the train early enough that it's possible for me to find a seat & that means that I can use the time to study my Japanese, which means that usually I have to figure out how to say the thing that I couldn't say yesterday. It is definitely helping, and even if it is longer, it's much more relaxing to sit on a train & not think about where you are going, than it is to drive & constantly be yelling at the people around you (at least that is usually how it works when I drive ...)
On the way home, you have to be a little flexible, because the trains aren't as frequent, but as long as you can time your exit from work to meet the train schedule, it's basically no problem. On the way home, usually I have been reading a book for pleasure. I would like to be able to study some Japanese, however my brain is way too tired for that at the end of the day ...
Admittedly, there are some places where I am planning to go, that are not really accessible by public transportation. In these circumstances, I can simply rent a car for a weekend in order to accomplish my goals. It is a little bit of a hassle, but in the grand scheme of things, I don't think it's an unwelcome compromise.
The side benefit to this, is that I am walking a lot more than I used to. Even after only 2 weeks, I am noticing that I have more energy & I am actually in better condition for the other activities that I do (playing soccer, running ... etc ...). I guess it makes a big difference, but I figure I'm walking an extra 3 to 4 miles per day than I used to.
At any rate, I haven't driven a car in 2 weeks & I'm loving every minute of it!!!
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