Recent comments in /f/Maine

icey8 t1_jegwnrv wrote

Reply to How long is to long of a commute. by bluecommet84

I drive from Ellsworth to auburn every day, a little over 2 hours one way every day (almost 5 hours round trip.) My 8 hour day turns into a 13 hour day. I wake up at 3:30 and get home at 6. In the mornings, it’s great because I have time to drink coffee and wake up. The evenings I unwind and listen to podcasts. You just gotta learn how to enjoy it. But it’s not for everyone.

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Steelassault t1_jegv4mq wrote

Reply to How long is to long of a commute. by bluecommet84

I had this same dillema, drive about 45-50 minutes one way for work. Anything GPSd over 50 minutes was my comfort zone, probably just for the psychological factor. If you're talking about a pay bump from the $35k to $40k's, personally not worth it. If this is a jump from the higher end of average salary of $60k+ to a career jump of at least another $15k I would take it. Just depends on your family, your vehicle, and that you've thought it over.

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Manticore87 t1_jeguxma wrote

Reply to Where/when do I need to go to see the sky like this in Maine? by sunbathingturtle207

You won't be able to see exactly what you see in this photo with just your eyes, even if the moon is not out and you are in the deepest & darkest part of Maine.

If you want to see as many stars and planets in the sky as you can in Maine, go out a few hours after sunset or before sunrise where there is little to no light pollution, https://www.lightpollutionmap.info, and no full moon or moon is not out.

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TheDukeofDook t1_jegttpv wrote

Reply to How long is to long of a commute. by bluecommet84

I drive 1 hr 7 minutes each way from where I live to Westbrook for less than $20 an hour. I don't go anywhere on the weekend because I'm so sick of driving and don't want the extra wear on the car more than what I'm doing. I've been doing it for a year and a half now. You get used to it but it is never fun. Being gone 11 hours a day everyday (and that's before incorporating after work errands) is challenging.

I am looking for something closer or in a town that I can actually afford to live in

Think hard on whether it is worth it or not

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6byfour t1_jegns45 wrote

Reply to How long is to long of a commute. by bluecommet84

I did a 1 hour commute for 20 years. I didn’t think the first job would last long but I stayed 11 years. By then we had attachments in the community we lived in, and my wife worked 5 min from home. I ended up getting another job, also an hour away because that’s where my professional network was.

I was able to do some of my job from the car, like calling contractors etc. I also had customers in my area and on the way, so it was often not a fully wasted trip. It also allowed me to hit certain stores on the way, so if my wife’s aunt likes a restaurant that’s 40 min away for us, I could pop in easily for a gift card. Later, I could occasionally catch my son’s high school sports because they were closer to work than home.

My job was very flexible and I could make up hours at home if I needed to leave early. I now mostly work from home.

So it wasn’t all bad, but some of it was. I figure it cost me an extra car over those years, and it ate a lot of time. I think it impacted our social life a bit because my work friends were out of reach for dinners with spouses, etc. it definitely impacted my health with extra sitting and too much fast food.

2 hours a day *200 work days is 16.7 days on your ass in the car every year. So in my case I’ve blown almost a year of my life driving to work. I get a little bitter when I think about that.

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