Yeah I don't really like the phrasing of this one... maybe instead 'sometimes you need to challenge your comfort levels to get to where you want to be' or something.. Not sure. But 'things you don't want to do' feels a little ick.

Yeah Boston and Amherst are different ends of the state, and both can be difficult to drive in to, especially in Winter. A snowy day on the pike? That could be 3-4 hours--no joke. On a good day that's 2 hours one way. You may want to find a different job. I just can't see any commute working out for that, especially with one car. Perhaps you could couch surf in Boston the night before a shift? I just don't know.

*Edit to add that living in Framingham would be an *awful* commute to Amherst. I commuted to and from Framingham from Worcester for work and school and that was about a third of the distance and it royally sucked in Winter and Rush Hour. That would be a nightmare to Amherst.