[Published: February 14, 2024]

By Kim Ratcliff

After carpooling to work together from Morgan Hill (with an occassional Caltrain commute) in 2022, Stanford staffers Cerise and Dale Burns resolved not to drive in 2023.

The married couple of 12 years, who both work for Stanford’s Earth and Planetary Sciences department, decided instead to solely take Caltrain, giving new meaning to the term ‘couple goals.'

The Burns were fed up with commuting 80 miles roundtrip by car from their home to the Stanford campus. Especially stressful were the random setbacks -- hello, wayward refrigerator snarling highway traffic for miles.

Cerise, a student services administrator, works on campus three days a week, while Dale, a research scientist, works daily in a lab. They decided to take Caltrain together on days they both worked, while Dale opted for a bike/Caltrain combo on his solo days.

At first, Cerise had high hopes. “I imagined Caltrain to be like a Hogwarts Express train with quaint trolley cars selling candies and hot cocoa. Sadly, I discovered, nope, it’s just boring adult life,” she said with a laugh.

Still, Cerise and Dale soon found ways to add a bit of sparkle to the mundane. Each morning before work, one person fed the family dogs and bantam chickens, Bianca, Garby, and Ms. Myer, while the other hustled into the kitchen to froth salted caramel lattes to go. It’s now become their morning ritual. “We love the train cars with tables so we can relax with our java and pretend we’re in a mobile cafe,” said Cerise.

Cerise and Dale can't always find seats together. On days they sit apart, both often listen to the same audiobook or podcast.

After they set their '23 goal and trainlife became a reality, Cerise struggled at times thanks to schedule snafus, weather and crowds. “Sometimes I was tempted to get in the car and drive. But once we got the halfway point in July, I became re-energized. I thought 'I got this!'“ she said.

Not only do the Burns no longer fight traffic and save on gas and car maintenance, plenty of diversions keep them occupied. “We like to sit back and watch the sights along the way, from changing graffiti to a coyote out the window and the new electrification project, which is taking shape from month to month,” said Cerise.

Another positive? The Burns don’t grumble as much about office politics. Instead, they engage in healthier conversations about shared podcasts and books.

After reaching their goal, Cerise and Dale continued with their lattes 'n' love. “I'm thankful for public transit and happy to say I haven’t driven to campus since December 2022,” said Cerise.

The Burns even incorporate an occasional traveling pub on Fridays, sharing craft beers with southbound train friends on the way home.

Harry Potter never had it so good.