Madison must seem pretty puny compared to Chicago. Much less to worry about as far as traffic is concerned though, and you have to admit it’s a pretty beautiful place.
Thanks again for the in-depth run down regarding Chicago. Like I said, I only spent the weekend there, but loved it. I spent another weekend in Naperville during the winter though, and man, harsh winters up north.
In any event, If I ever make that leap I’ll try not to commute very far; however, if Brazeen came calling I suspect I’d do the same. At least give me a reason to keep my truck.
I know how you feel it can be strenuous, I worked in southern Iowa for six months on an internship, but my family was all in Madison (8 hours away) and my University and friends were all in River Falls (6 hours away) so it made for a lot of miles put on my truck and a sense of leading two different lives. It was nice in the summer, but wait until winter comes.
I’m really amazed that you can make those sorts of commutes. I’m facing my first real “serious” internship this summer and I’m facing a an hour each way commute out of the city to the burbs and back – that is daunting me.
I hope that the gas prices haven’t killed you with your long commute.
The commute isn’t so bad, because I live in Madison half the time and Chicago half the time. So it’s a once a week commute. And I take the bus, which is fun because I love taking public transportation.
What’s hard is having two separate lives. I’m not sure if I made that clear in my post. But the good thing is there are advantages to living in two places, not just one, and I’m learning to adjust to my new schedule.
Thanks for this great post. I’m considering taking a job (and a lot more pay) in Madison, but I presently live in Naperville. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive one way. I’d be in Madison for 4 days a week, working from home/Naperville on Fridays. Because I’ve got 2 kids and extended family in the Naperville area, I can’t move to Madison (let alone sell my home for a decent price!)…
My new job would pay for or subsidize the commute, my apartment in Madison, food, dry cleaning, that kind of thing. So it’s tempting.
Jay, that’s pretty much my schedule – 4 days a week in Madison, Friday-Sunday in Chicago. I don’t drive up here, I usually take the bus from O’Hare airport because it’s close to where I live (which you would probably not be doing).
On the occasions that I have driven, it’s not a bad drive. No traffic, little construction. The bad part is the tolls – I pay about $4.20 one way. You would have to check your route to see what you might pay.
Good luck with your decision! The first few months of commuting were hard, but I’ve gotten used to it and it’s a comfortable routine for me now.
Monica O'Brien is the Director of Digital at Fizz and author of the book Social Pollination, which helps businesses leverage social media for crazy growth!
Monica O'Brien is the Director of Digital at Fizz and author of the book Social Pollination, which helps businesses leverage social media for crazy growth!
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Madison must seem pretty puny compared to Chicago. Much less to worry about as far as traffic is concerned though, and you have to admit it’s a pretty beautiful place.
Michael, you know, I really enjoy Madison. It’s just hard to “live” in two different places. But I’m starting to think of it as home all the same.
Monica,
Thanks again for the in-depth run down regarding Chicago. Like I said, I only spent the weekend there, but loved it. I spent another weekend in Naperville during the winter though, and man, harsh winters up north.
In any event, If I ever make that leap I’ll try not to commute very far; however, if Brazeen came calling I suspect I’d do the same. At least give me a reason to keep my truck.
I know how you feel it can be strenuous, I worked in southern Iowa for six months on an internship, but my family was all in Madison (8 hours away) and my University and friends were all in River Falls (6 hours away) so it made for a lot of miles put on my truck and a sense of leading two different lives. It was nice in the summer, but wait until winter comes.
Commuting sucks.
I’m really amazed that you can make those sorts of commutes. I’m facing my first real “serious” internship this summer and I’m facing a an hour each way commute out of the city to the burbs and back – that is daunting me.
I hope that the gas prices haven’t killed you with your long commute.
Best,
James
Hi everyone, thanks for the comments.
The commute isn’t so bad, because I live in Madison half the time and Chicago half the time. So it’s a once a week commute. And I take the bus, which is fun because I love taking public transportation.
What’s hard is having two separate lives. I’m not sure if I made that clear in my post. But the good thing is there are advantages to living in two places, not just one, and I’m learning to adjust to my new schedule.
Thanks for this great post. I’m considering taking a job (and a lot more pay) in Madison, but I presently live in Naperville. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive one way. I’d be in Madison for 4 days a week, working from home/Naperville on Fridays. Because I’ve got 2 kids and extended family in the Naperville area, I can’t move to Madison (let alone sell my home for a decent price!)…
My new job would pay for or subsidize the commute, my apartment in Madison, food, dry cleaning, that kind of thing. So it’s tempting.
Can you let me know how awful the commute is?
Cheers!
Jay, that’s pretty much my schedule – 4 days a week in Madison, Friday-Sunday in Chicago. I don’t drive up here, I usually take the bus from O’Hare airport because it’s close to where I live (which you would probably not be doing).
On the occasions that I have driven, it’s not a bad drive. No traffic, little construction. The bad part is the tolls – I pay about $4.20 one way. You would have to check your route to see what you might pay.
Good luck with your decision! The first few months of commuting were hard, but I’ve gotten used to it and it’s a comfortable routine for me now.
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