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A Los Angeles-based grad student attending classes at the University of California Berkley decided to work around expensive Bay Area rent by flying to and from his classes three times a week. According to KTLA, the frequent flyer, otherwise known as Bill, was accepted into a yearlong Masters of Engineering program at the school located just north of Oakland.
To be on time for his 10:00 a.m. class at UC Berkley, Bill would wake up at 3:30 a.m and head to the Los Angeles International Airport. He would fly from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m and catch the subway at 8:30 a.m. before arriving at school. The "super commuter" told KTLA that he would spend all day attending classes and travel home the same way he'd arrived, getting back to his apartment in Los Angeles at midnight. Bill mentioned that his classmates were constantly curious about his travels.
"My classmates, instead of asking ‘What’s for dinner?’ they would ask ‘When’s your flight back?" Despite its challenges, Bill embraced the tedious travel itinerary with positivity.
“My classmates thought I would quit week one, but I treated it as a trip more than a commute.” Between flights, subway rides, and miscellaneous travel expenses, Bill spent a total of $5,592.66 during one year of commuting to and from Berkley. 238 flights, 92,089 miles, and 75,955 minutes later, Bill is a graduate! In spite of the effort it took to get from point A to point B over and over again, Bill graduated without ever missing a single class, calling the whole experience a "miracle."