Courier gig

Last week I started work as a courier. It's a job that I've dreamed of doing for a long time, and the fact that I'm actually doing it now is somewhat crazy. It makes me think maybe, just maybe, I can do a bunch of stuff that I want to do.

A friend of mine asked me about it, and here's what I had to say:

So here's the big thing. You get paid per package you deliver. The amount varies slightly depending on size of package, and probably whether it's a rush job or whatever. I don't know the exact numbers on that stuff because, well, I'm not a big money guy. I'm getting my first paycheck this friday, so even though I said I'm not a money guy, I have no choice but to be a little practical, so this check will really determine how long I can do this job.

As for how I'm liking it? I LOVE it! They've got the three courier types at this place, drivers, metropassers, and bikers, and as I've said before I'm metropassing it. I think the bikers have the best shot at raking in the dough, and if it wasn't on the verge of winter slushness I could probably see to trying it (honestly, I saw a bike almost get hit by a taxi today, and when that biker tells the story she'll be all "man, taxis are CRAZY" but from where I was sitting she almost drove into him). So I just walk around, and very often just smile that I get to be outside and walking around. My knees were pretty sore the first few days, but that seems to have died down, and I haven't had the energy to hit the gym afterwards since I started (which, I think you'll agree, is pretty understandable!) You can take a break whenever you need one, well, I assume. I mostly just chill out, eat my food and whatnot, whenever I have some unusually long subway distance to travel. Otherwise I try to plug along like a good, responsible, trooper.

The hardest part has actually been getting up in the mornings. Apparently even when you like what you do, you like your bed even more. So I keep hitting the snooze button WAY too much... and you know what they say when I drag myself over to yonge and bloor an hour late? Nothing! They don't seem to care! First time that's happened... but obviously I need to get there earlier to increase the ol' earning potential. In my defence, I haven't had to get up this early in well over a year, in fact it's basically the polar opposite schedule that I had been working (overnights... I actually went to bed at the sime time I'm getting up now).

My world just feels so much larger now. It's like I no longer have the urge to withdraw the maximum from my credit card and run away on the train for as far as it'd take me. You know, for now, anyways.