In the near future, there is a non-zero chance that I will be employed full time at the Natural History Museum. To that end, if I'm going to be commuting every day into London, I need to explore ways to shorten my commute, or at least make it more tolerable. I can tell you that this long of a commute does wear on me, but the upcoming full time-ness would be for six months, I can tolerate it for that long... I think. Today was day one of the great "commuting in from the second closest train station (Beaconsfield)" experiment. From there I have many options of getting to where I need to go. I tried the Central Line via West Ruislip today. In the morning, it worked perfectly, there are tube trains leaving West Ruislip every five minutes or so, and that train stop is only 14 minutes away from my starting point. I was at work in one hour and ten minutes, record time for me. This route for the journey home is not confidence inspiring. Due largely in part to very few trains stopping at West Ruislip in the evening. I had *just* missed my train. As the Central Line pulled into the station, my train was pulling away. I stood there watching train after train pass me by every five to ten minutes. Twenty minutes later I was on a train that terminated at Gerrard's Cross, where I then transfered to yet another train five minutes later. Today, it was a wash. Day two will involve just heading straight into Marylebone and biting the bullet and sticking with the seemingly always troublesome Circle Line via Edgeware Road *fingers crossed* On the plus side of things for Bourne End: I can walk home from the train station, I've been using the FGW line long enough I know every time of every possible train I could take to get me where I need to go and easily plan my exit from work, i.e. it's better because it's the Devil I know. The plus side for Beaconsfield: many more trains and faster transit time into the city. The downside of Beaconsfield is that I would need to rely on Mark to get me to and from the station, keeping him later at work and sitting through traffic, not too mention the sleeping policemen riddling the entry way drive to the station (not the most fun when your vehicle is inches above the ground). I need to give this experiment a little more time.