‘I made curtains on the train’: the commuters livening up their journeys

The pandemic opened the eyes of many to the benefits of running or cycling to work – or “ active commutes ” – and some have kept up the habit. No longer content with long drives or boring train rides, commuters have been seeking ways to make their journeys more productive and enjoyable. Six people share how they make the most of their journey to work.

William Macdonald, 51, makes a point of varying his commute. The web developer from Scotland, who has lived in Sweden for 17 years, keeps his trip to his office in Stockholm fresh by “never taking the same method or route two days in a row”. Whether it is cycling before hopping on a boat, running, or even fitting in a swim on the way, switching up his journey into work allows Macdonald to feel he is making the most of his day.



“In the summer, sometimes I cycle there and swim in a heated pool that’s on the way to work. I cycle all year round, as long as there’s not huge snowdrifts,” he says. “I just do it for a bit of variety – sometimes taking the same train every morning, seeing the same people can be a bit depressing.

You can make some sort of adventure, some other focus of the day ...

It adds a feature to the day. Otherwise the commute is just a little step to spending the whole day in the office.” Macdonald’s job allows him the option of working from home some days, on which he often mountain bikes in a nearby forest.

“Sometimes, I do cross-country skiing on my lunch break!” In New York, Migue.