What commutes by train and usually has a book (or three) in her bag? --- a Teenreads.com intern, of course! Or, more specifically, this Teenreads.com intern. Students all over America get internships each summer and luckily, this year I’m one of them! Internships get your feet wet. They provide an inside look into a career that a job description can’t. Plus, they’re kind of fun, too. While I’m finding that my internship is connecting me with great books and authors, it’s also providing me with some new life skills. For example, navigating the largest city in the country! But before I could run around New York on my lunch hour, I had to figure out how to get there. It’s easy really --- I just take a car, two trains and a subway. Alright, so maybe it’s a little more complicated than your average commute, but it’s taught me a lot.
My first lesson I learned pretty quickly, just by looking around my train in the morning. You are not alone. Interns are everywhere, seriously. We’re recognizable by our bulging backpacks, youth and the fact that we carry actual train tickets, not a monthly commuter pass. Some interns are easy to spot, like the business intern (backpack formatted for a laptop, buttondown-and-khakis combo), the fashion intern (sunglasses always on, oversize purse replacing the backpack) and the YA book website intern (typically always reading).
The second lesson taking the train has taught me is to always purchase a round trip ticket in the morning, rather than one-way tickets at each station. That way, you never have to worry about missing your train while waiting in the ticket line (trust me, they’re always super long and full of people who seem to have never used a ticket machine before). This also allows you to leave your internship at the last possible minute, so you can run dramatically through Penn Station and board your train with seconds to go, congratulating yourself on your speed. (Note: Occasionally, when purchasing a round trip ticket, the ticket machine will become momentarily confused and accidentally spit out six round trip tickets for the price of one, allowing you to ride the train for free for the rest of the week! This is rare, but yet another good reason to buy round trips over one-ways!)
Lesson three took a little longer to figure out; where to sit. You will definitely have to squeeze in next to a stranger at some point during your commute, but the key is knowing who to choose. Obviously window seats are ideal, as they give you something to snooze against. But when the only option is sliding in next to a stranger, its always best to choose someone who is doing the same thing you plan to. For me, that’s reading, though I’m not opposed to sitting next to someone with earbuds in (as long as I can’t actually tell what they’re listening to). Beware the chatty women, however, as they are the focus of many annoyed-commuter glares.
I learned lesson four the hard way. Taking the subway is a great, and usually timely way to get around New York. However, if you have a 4:24 train and you get to the subway station at 4:19, you’re cutting it a little close. Subways, like trains, are subject to delays and detours and though they’re usually pretty reliable, they run on their schedule, not yours. So, if you have to catch a subway to catch a train, chances are you’ll miss your train before you even leave the subway station. During these frustrating situations, it’s always nice to have a Starbucks and a book to help you though the hour until the next train.
The fifth and final lesson my commute has taught me is one everyone can benefit from. In fact, it might just be the most important lesson of all. When taking the subway, please, please, please hold on to something. Only experienced commuters have mastered the art of balancing the lurching take-off of the subway successfully and it’s not something beginners should attempt. If you do, you most likely will end up on top of someone’s Trader Joe’s grocery bags, and that person will probably not have the most friendly feelings toward you after crushing their eggs and popcorn.
