Adventures of a Non-Binary Author – Scoot the Commute

Thursday morning, and I beat the alarm. Again. This is becoming a pattern. And not an enjoyable one, since the alarm is now set much earlier than it was. Still I’m awake. My pre-work routine is much simpler than my day-off one. Shower. Dress. Write for a bit. Breakfast whilst watching some YouTube. Leave. I’ll edit and exercise when I come home. Having a good routine allows things to feel more settled. Even when you’re doing everything an hour or so earlier than you’re used to.

This is my seventh new home in the last fifteen years. Settling into a new pace is pretty much second nature at this point. That’s why I know having a routine helps. It’s like this little beacon of normality, as everything around you shifts and changes. The routine doesn’t need to be strict or complicated. Just little things, in their own little order, which sets you up for the day. The routine is my safe little wake up space. And everyone needs one of those.

I don’t want to miss catching the bus, so I leave earlier than I initially planned. This results in me not seeing my partner before I leave. I know they’re awake. I heard they go straight into the bathroom as I was getting my work stuff together. I message them on the way out of the door to let them know. It’s going to be a long day without them. Thursdays are their social night, and they won’t have time to come all the way home for dinner first. It’ll be okay. These first few days are all about the learning how to make this setup work for us.

They message whilst I’m on the bus, asking about their comb. The one which was kept in the bathroom. All the bathroom stuff went into the same box. The same box they didn’t want to check the day before. Since I couldn’t remember unpacking it, I tell them it’s probably in the box. They won’t be reunited with it until the following day. At which point the comb won’t be the only thing we’re looking for.

I check my watch. Leaving earlier meant catching an earlier bus. I’m now about a twenty-minute walk from work, and have way too much time to kill. So I get off, and walk the rest of the way in. It’s a good way to get some steps in for the day. With everything going on, I keep forgetting to put my FitBit on charge. I topped it up by enough to get it through the day, but it meant my morning steps weren’t recorded. A little extra walking should fix that. Although it will be a few days before I remember to consistently charge the device again. It’s a One, and at least five years old at this point. The charge on it can be inconsistent at the best of times. So charging it most days just keeps it from dying on me. I’ve no intention of upgrading it though. Having a tracker on my waistband keeps my step count accurate.

I make it into work with time to spare. But I’m already thinking about ways to regain control over my commute. My partner and I have already discussed alternatives to the bus. The kick scooter is the top contender. We have one on the way. Or rather, we had one on the way. During my shift my partner gets a message saying it’s being returned to sender. Our choice of collection point won’t accept anything of that weight. It’s a frustration, for sure. But it’s also not the worst thing that could happen. I’ve already seen one with a front break, and a wider board I’d much rather have.

Since my partner has time to kill between work and their evening of socialising, they agree to scooter hunt. They send me a few pictures of scooters they find in various places, before making it to Smyths Toy Store. There’s a wider range here. And they carry the type I’ve had my eye on. I PayPal my partner the money. Tomorrow I will be scooting into work.

I know full well that’s not going to be easy. A kick scooter is a good form of exercise. Which translates into, this will probably be tiring. But I struggle too much with bikes, so it’s worth a try. I wake up before my alarm again. It’s getting a really annoying now, especially since I’d moved the time back on my alarm again. Still, it’s fine. Waking up naturally is better for you. Even if it doesn’t stop me from feeling as tired as hell.

The scooter is waiting for me in our living room space. I set it up after my morning routine. Then I take it outside to try it in the garden. I can balance on it okay. So, this should be doable, right? My partner and I actually get to spend five minutes together before I leave. Again I set out a little early to be on the safe side. My bag is a lot heavier than usual because I need my laptop with me today. I don’t let that stop me though.

It doesn’t take me long to be completely breathless. No matter how fit I thought I was, riding a kick scooter is a whole new level of energy usage. On the way in I stop more than once to rest. I also choose to push the scooter up a couple of steeper sections. Even with this I still make it in a decent enough time. I do spend the whole day feeling pretty breathless though. And, with the additional weight of the laptop, I figure I should probably bus it home.

That’s the plan at least. I leave work and head to where the bus stops are. Only I’ve not properly worked out which one I need. There are a few busses I could catch home. A few stops I could get on from. And now I’m in a situation where I’m running out of time to make it back down to one. Especially with the weight of both the bag and scooter I’m carrying. So I make a decision. Set the scooter back up. And scoot the commute back home. It’s exhausting. And the final hill is way too much for me to tackle at this stage. But I still make pretty good time.

I recover quickly enough to do my post-work exercise. I’ve proven to myself I can do this. I can take control back over my commute. Plus, eventually, my fitness will reach a point of making it a lot easier. I just have to stick with it. Except when it’s raining too heavily, of course. Safety first.

I now have one day off before my next shift. Then I’m working three in a row. A real test of my scooting endurance. But, for now, my mind turns towards tomorrow. It’ll be our first time looking at houses since losing our purchase. It’s both exciting and a little scary at the same time. It was six. It’s now down to four. But that’s okay. We have a secure roof over our heads. We have the time to find the place that is right. We don’t need to find somewhere tomorrow. But if we did, wouldn’t that be nice…

To be continued…