When I accepted the census job, the hiring manager told me I was required to work between 20 and 40 hours per week. I thought the minimum sounded quite easy; I was confident I'd be able to complete closer to the maximum amount. I didn't stop and think about some of the job requirements! As an Enumerator, I get to walk from house to house verifying the addresses and making any necessary changes to the list in my computer. The only time I use my car is to drive to an area, or to travel between sections if parts of an area aren't adjacent to each other. I'm used to physical exertion (I go to the gym most days and take a group class for an hour, and some days I add a walk with a friend to my indoor exercise) but not as much as I've been doing this week.
I was curious just how much area I was covering, so today I measured the distance I traveled on foot with a portable GPS unit. Yep, the same unit I geocached with over the weekend has an odometer feature so I could measure the total distance I traveled as I went about my day. I left the house at 8:30, and worked for six hours. Today was a great day to be outside. The sun was shining, and the temperature was moderate, unlike Monday's near-freezing weather. When I got home, the odometer said I had traveled 23.2 miles. After subtracting the driving distance (18 miles), I discovered today I walked a little over five miles.
When I get my first paycheck, I may treat myself to some new walking shoes!
Wow! Five miles is a lot. The last time I walked five miles my hips protested just a little. I usually walk 1-2 miles a day and that works just fine. For a future blog post, though, I'm going to wear a pedometer for a week to see how many miles I walk since I'm all over the place every day in my day job.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time in the sun - I'd love to be walking and working outdoors more often.
I need some motivation like that. I am hoping when we move we get our first choice apartment. It has a lot of walking areas.
ReplyDeleteIt sure beats an office job! I always start going stir crazy in offices.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should have applied for that job! You're going to be in great shape.
ReplyDeleteAre you enjoying your tour of the neighborhoods? Do you ever feel uneasy doing this job on your own?
ReplyDeleteI feel completely safe. I'm working in the area right around my house (two days ago literally in my own neighborhood), and always during the day. It's been great checking out other people's landscaping and getting some ideas for my own house!
ReplyDeleteIt would satisfy the voyeur in me. Plus, I love to talk to people. If I didn't have a job right now, I sure would have gone and signed up to do census work. The exercise part sounds good too.
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