Jae Kim, a 55-year-old real estate broker, has come to terms with his grueling weekly commute of over 700 miles to get to his office in South Carolina. In 2016, Kim and his family moved to Auburn, Alabama, for his wife's hometown, the good education system for their children, and what seemed like the best decision for the family at the time.
However, this move meant Kim had to continue operating his brokerage firm in South Carolina, where he and his family previously lived. For the past eight years, Kim has been driving about five hours each way, every week, to get to the office and back home.
"I've come to terms with it," Kim told Business Insider. "I'm more at peace with it and the benefits that it provides, as long as it doesn't start taking away from the family."
The commute has allowed Kim to expand his real estate business across Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia, but it's not without its challenges. Gas is his biggest expense, and the long hours on the road can be grueling. However, Kim is able to stay overnight at some of the properties he's working on, which helps offset additional housing costs.
"The only positive is I get to clear my mind for five hours," Kim said. "Aside from that, it's as brutal a grind as anybody's five-hour drive anywhere."
Despite the difficulties, Kim believes the commute has been beneficial for his business, allowing him to meet with clients across multiple states and earn more income. He's part of a growing number of Americans who have taken on "supercommutes" – commutes to work that take 90 minutes or longer.
The pandemic has made longer commutes more feasible, with the flexibility of hybrid work arrangements allowing people to boost their earnings at a job farther from home.
However, being away from his family is a significant challenge for Kim. He emphasizes the importance of open communication and prioritizing his time with his family when he's back in Alabama.
"I've had to, in a large way, shift my priorities to ensure I'm putting my family first," Kim said. "And then everything else will have to fall into place afterward."
Kim tries to drive home every weekend to be with his family, and he makes stops along the way at the properties he owns. He recommends that anyone considering a long commute go into it "with eyes wide open" because it's not for every family situation. While it's most important for the family to be on board, having a supportive team at work makes it easier as well.
"This makes marriage harder. It just does," Kim said. "So whenever you're away, you have to have that trust from the beginning and all the way through, and you have to over-communicate, which is tough. But it's needed to make it healthier and keep it healthy."