🚎 The Great Commute: How My Bus Rides Always Lead to More LEGO (And Why That’s Perfectly Fine) 🧱

Every week, like clockwork, I embark on my noble quest to work. Unlike the grand adventures of knights and wizards, my journey is far less epic—just me, my bus pass, and a carefully curated playlist that makes the commute feel slightly less like a ride through purgatory. 😅

There’s something about public transit that really allows for some deep self-reflection. For instance, while staring out the window at the same pothole that’s been there since 2019, I often ponder the great mysteries of life:

🤔 Why do buses always smell slightly of warm pennies?
🎧 Why do people treat "headphones in" as an open invitation for conversation?
🛑 Why do I keep convincing myself that I won’t buy more LEGO on the way home?

🏪 The Great LEGO Pitstop

As any responsible (hysterical laughter ensues) adult would tell you, setting financial boundaries is important. “Stick to a budget,” they say. “Be responsible,” they advise. But these people have clearly never walked past a LEGO store every single week after a long workday.

My local LEGO store is positioned strategically—by which I mean it’s right there on my route home. The universe has set me up for failure success! The moment I step through those welcoming glass doors, I hear the siren song of new sets whispering sweet nothings into my ear:

💬 “Charles, you NEED this new Star Wars set. It will bring you joy.”
💬 “Charles, the new modular building will make your LEGO city even cooler!”
💬 “Charles, this tiny polybag is practically free compared to that giant set! It's a STEAL!”

Fast forward 15 minutes, and I’m at the counter, slightly confused about how I got there but fully prepared to hand over my card. At this point, the store staff and I are practically on a first-name basis, and I’m fairly certain they have a “Charles Special” alert when I walk in. 😂

🛍️ The Real Reason I Look Forward to My LEGO Stop

Let me be real for a second—the absolute best part of my weekly LEGO store visit isn’t just the glorious new sets I walk out with. It’s the amazing staff who make the experience something I genuinely look forward to each week.

The folks at my LEGO store? Absolute LEGENDS. The moment I step in, I’m greeted with smiles, LEGO talk, and insider knowledge about upcoming releases. Some of my favorite weekly interactions include:

👀 “Hey Charles, you’re going to love this new set.”
📦 “We just got this one in today, and I knew you’d be interested.”
😂 “Okay, be honest, are you actually running out of shelf space yet?”

(For the record, the answer to that last one is yes, but let’s not dwell on that.)

They don’t just sell LEGO—they live LEGO. Their excitement is infectious, and it feels like a weekly mini-reunion with fellow brick enthusiasts rather than just a shopping trip. I could walk in empty-handed (rare), just to chat, and still leave feeling like I had a great experience. But let’s be honest… I always leave with something.

🎥 The Justification: Content is King

Now, some might say I have a LEGO addiction (to which I say, if loving LEGO is wrong, I don’t want to be right), but here’s the thing: Every LEGO set I impulsively purchase becomes content for my Bricks and Builds with Chay channel!

Think about it:

📦 New set? Boom—unboxing video.
🧐 Cool minifigures? Boom—detailed breakdown.
⌛ A ridiculously complex 18+ set I have no time for but build anyway? Boom—time-lapse and review.
🤦‍♂️ A set I told myself I wasn’t going to buy but somehow ended up with anyway? Boom—entire comedic video about my lack of self-control.

It’s a win-win-win situation! My wallet cries a little, but my audience gets fresh content, my LEGO city grows larger, and I get to hang out with some of the coolest LEGO-loving people every week. 🎉

🤷‍♂️ Acceptance is the First Step

At this point, I’ve simply embraced my fate. The bus ride to work is merely a prelude to the inevitable. My commute isn’t just about getting from point A to point B—it’s about the journey, the adventure, and the “oh wow, I didn’t mean to buy this but here we are” magic that happens along the way.

So, the next time you see a person on the bus, staring wistfully out the window, know this: They might not be thinking about deep, existential questions. They might just be mentally rearranging their shelves to fit the next LEGO set they totally didn’t plan on buying.

And to that, I say: Bricks and Builds forever! 🏗️🔥