Advantages of a Long Commute and Construction Work

Yes, I do find a long commute has it's advantages. I live 54 miles from my main place of work. It also has it's disadvantages, so I will address those first.

• It takes time to get to and from work. The drive itself is about an hour, traffic permitting. This is how long it usually takes me to get home after work. To get to work, I allow myself about 1.5 to 2 hours. 
• My employer only gives me a 1 minute window for being "On Time" and there is no real leeway on this. 
• I also have to park and walk from the lot to my office. I allow myself a couple of minutes for this. 
• I do not like sitting in the hot seat "Cold" and want to observe the flow for a couple of minutes. 
• There is always the chance of construction and delays therefrom. For example, this last weekend they completely shut down I-5 in Seattle for badly needed roadwork.
• Every week I need to get fuel for the car. And wash it if the lines at Costco are permitting.
• Stuff happens. I have had to change a tire more than once and have not had it make me late, yet.
• It puts a LOT of miles on my cars. 500 miles a week just for the commute, not including detours and other shopping.
• Fuel wise it isn't that bad, only about 10-11 gallons a week, $35. One important reason why I drive a hybrid. A person living much closer can go through more fuel if they are driving a conventional vehicle.
• It is all freeway, and regardless of what they tell you, I still get better fuel economy on the freeway than in town with my Prius, about 60 MPG freeway and 48 MPG city. The tank average is about 55 MPG of late.
• I have little sleep when I take an overtime shift. It's workable, but not something I want to do on a daily basis.
• I want to eat in my car. I really am working on this.

For the advantages, I see them as:

• I see nobody that has anything to do with my job when I am not working except on very rare occasions. I can actually get away from work.
• I also have a disconnect between work and home life. An hour is plenty of time to chill out from a bad day. I can listen to my music or an audio book on the drive.
• I pay less in fuel for a month than the difference in living space costs. My mortgage is less than half of what I would be paying for anything in Seattle. $150 a month in fuel costs is peanuts compared to an extra grand a month for a smaller space.
• When traffic is in my favor, I can stop at Costco and restock the coffee bar for work. Or actually clean out my car of the inevitable accumulating junk. Or just sit in the car and listen to my music or audio book.
• It keeps me from overworking myself on overtime. Yes, I like the money, but having time with the family is important.

I should point out that my shifts are not your normal "Nine to Five" shifts. I work Thursday through Monday from around noon to 8 p.m. There is little traffic during my commute and I actually like having weekdays off. You can get stuff done. Movies are cheaper on Tuesdays. The stores are less crowded.

So, you can see that, with a little planning and Google maps, a long commute can actually help your overall well being and you can live a more relaxed lifestyle. 

I keep telling myself this.

And, it's only for 14 more years...