15 Hours

It seems like once the holiday season hits, time bangs immediately into warp speed. It’s a whirlwind of activity, even if you aren’t the party type. Just so you know, I’m not the party type. I’d like to be. But the reality is that after a week of work and nearly 3 hours a day commuting, I just like to be home. 

There are a number of things that roll around in my brain that I would love to do. But there just isn’t time. I’d love to get into yoga. It’s not only that I don’t have time, it’s also that I live in the middle of nowhere. In order to engage in activities such as yoga, I would have to add a stop along my way. The reality is that just is not going to happen. 

When the work day is over the truth is all I want is to get home.To even make time for friends and family takes a real effort on my part. Home is my happy place. Every once in a while I think that perhaps I can work in a fitness routine of some kind in the morning. But again, the reality is that I already get up at 4:00 in the morning. So squeezing in something else just isn’t going to happen.

That’s why I’ll sometimes stop and think about the reality of my commute and what I’m sacrificing. I love where we are. But we are isolated. Rarely does any one visit. In a lot of ways that isn’t a bad thing. LOL!!! But I do miss a call from someone who is just going to drop by. No one is every “in the neighborhood”. Visiting us is a destination and most people who do visit spend the better part of the day. 

Let me be honest. The absolute truth is, I’ve worked all week and I’m a little selfish with my time off. Having company is an event. I don’t have the energy for that. I’d love to! It sounds fun. But I’d rather come to you and leave when I want. Does that make me selfish? Perhaps. At this stage of the game I don’t put a lot of effort into pleasing everyone. Just a special few.

 Nevertheless, I’m sitting here thinking about my drive and wondering that would I do with the 15 hours of drive time per week. Suppose I could cut my roundtrip commute to only one hour a day. That would give me a whole ten hours a week to do something. 

So here’s my short list of things I’m missing out on because of my commute:

    3 hours a week working out in a gym

    5 hours a week preparing a fresh, wonderful, wholesome dinner

    2 whole extra hours a week to communicate with friends, crochet, read, write, etc..

The list could be endless. But the reality is would I make good use of the time. I would answer with a resounding YES! If you look at what I get done on MOST weekends, you might chuckle and say “I bet.” But honestly, I’m so tired by Friday night, that sometimes I don’t get a lot done on the weekend. I am old and I am tired. 

But on the other hand, I do think I make good use of my time in the car. I listen to audiobooks and podcasts. Some of these are informative, full of self-development and some of them are just simple entertainment. Thanks to the technology of Bluetooth and my cellphone, it can also be a good time to catch up with a friend.

I guess it’s best not to wish for things we don’t have. I don’t have a short commute. It can be tiresome and tedious. But I make use of my time alone in the car. In the fast paced, crazy world we live in, I do find serenity in my home. The peacefulness of sitting on the deck, watching the birds, and not hearing the sound of traffic.

There is still a lot of time left in the day to get things done. A notebook with a todo list is my biggest asset. Honestly, it’s all about priorities. I could stop off 3 days a week and work out. But I want to go home.