Obviously, a sunny morning back in March 2012. Walking my son to the kindergarten and proceeding to the office just stared becoming my regular morning routine. May have been a game changer.
Some 12 to 15 years earlier
I remember my career start back around year 2000. More or less I was sure that it does not matter were you live and where your job is. You have a notebook and you can work on the train if required. You are not spending your time, just using it in another place.
At that time I would accept any cool job in another city, because it did not matter to me how long it takes to get to the office or what I do on that way.
Optimizing the way
Since I live in a rather quite a small town I have noticed I cannot work on my way to the office. I had to drive since public transport was no good and travelling can take up to 20 minutes.
This started annoying me and since I own my company I have decided to cut that time and move my office closer to my home. So we did and my office is now aproximately 10 minutes walk from my home.
When my son was born we always insisted on having a breakfast together as a family and then I wanted to come back home as early as possible.
So I had to optimize my way to the office. Always looking for the shortest and fastest way. By bike or by car if required (for later driving to meetings elsewhere).
From walking to challenge
The day my son started going into kindergarten, there was much advice on lowering the stress for him by taking a walk there. It is time when you can bond and talk and thus make this journey fun.
As it turned out it was fun for me as well. I started noticing little details around that changed during each day. Trees got more and more leaves, the color and intensity of the sun were changing. Wind turned from cold to warm. All those small details that I never noticed before when rushing to get my job done.
Someone posted an article about a photography 365 challenge. To take a photo each day. And I have realized that I have this opportunity to work on such project myself. Every morning.
So I did. I took my camera with me each day. On some days I did not and used my mobile phone instead. And it changed my life in great ways.
Journey
I was raising my experience of street, nature, architecture, animal and almost every other photography theme. And raising my awareness of environment which I live in. Of people passing by. Of buildings being renewed or collapsing.
Each morning that I did this, I was aware of what is actually out there on my morning walk to the office. Each morning that I get a walk to the office is now a journey.