I’ve always been someone who pours through books. In the second grade I was dubbed “Class Bookworm”. I would be scolded by my parents for reading my library books at the dinner table. More often than not I would fall asleep with a book covering my face. It was fitting that I started wearing glasses at the age of six. It was congruent with being Ms. Bookworm.

I stopped reading for pleasure when I was in medical school. It was four long years of academic text only. I didn’t have the time or energy to keep up with my passion. I had to focus on taking tests every week and studying for multiple classes at the same time. I didn’t even realize the transition. It just happened. I guess I was just too absorbed trying to survive being a medical student.

When I finally finished residency and became an attending physician, I was able to get back to reading for fun. I’ve never been able to read at home, for one reason or another. So I now read on the train. Two or three years ago, my commmute was about  1 1/2 hours which gave me plenty of time to read. That’s three hours of reading a day. I was usually able to get through a book in about three or four days. Now my commute is twenty minutes. I’m able to get through a book anywhere from one to two weeks. Besides vying for a space to hold on and doing a balancing act with my book, I get completely absorbed in reading. It evens makes my commute seem to go faster.

My father has always commuted into the city. He never seems to get bothered by it. I think I take after him. I like the transition from going from home to work and vice versa. The commute is not only a transition ride, but it gives me time for myself that I’m not otherwise able to get. Even though I work in Manhattan, I made a conscious decision to live outside so that I can have a boundary between work and my personal life. I’m glad I’m able to use the train ride as a boundary as well as keeping up with my passion for reading.