A 27-year-old woman from Birmingham spends over five hours commuting each day to her London office — and she insists the journey is worth every minute.
Alix Williams takes a train and two subway lines — covering more than 100 miles one-way — three days a week, according to SWNS. Her day begins with a 5:50 a.m. train from her local station, and she doesn’t get home until 8:30 p.m.
Williams, who lost her previous public sector job last year due to funding cuts from Birmingham City Council, says the main reason she endures such a long commute is the financial gain.
“It’s a 46% [salary] increase,” Williams told SWNS when comparing her current role to her previous one. “Once I’d deducted travel expenses, it was still substantially more.”
She added, “It’s a significant sacrifice of your time — but it’s what matters to you and fits your current life stage. I’m a young professional who enjoys holidays and traveling. It makes sense for what I want.”
Working as an adviser on discrimination and sexual harassment for a private company, Williams noted that higher-paying roles in her field are harder to find outside the public sector.
“It was rare to find a job with my skill set in a corporate setting. I thought, ‘What have you got to lose?’” she recalled. “It was a great step up. I spent a week really researching all the train costs and considering the physical effects on me [before taking the role].”
Williams also finds ways to make her commute productive and restful.
“I roll out of bed. I wake up 12 minutes before I need to leave the house. I do my skincare on the train and try and sleep,” she said, noting that she usually reads a book or watches a TV show on the way home while eating a pre-made dinner.
While she admits the long commute isn’t “sustainable” forever, Williams says it doesn’t currently interfere with her life.
“Because I never used to do anything in the morning before work I don’t feel I’ve lost any time there,” she explained. She also mentioned that she didn’t “do much anyway” on weekday evenings and still enjoys her weekends.
On top of the career benefits, she enjoys spending time in London.
“I find it quite exciting being in London. This is a place where people save up to come and visit,” she told SWNS, adding that she hopes her role will also “open doors” for future opportunities.
