The pros and cons of a 45-minute daily commute to work

My office is approximately 35 miles from my house. In some parts of the country, that wouldn't be especially remarkable. Here in Northeast Ohio, it at least puts my commute on the long-ish end of the spectrum.

Not that I'm complaining, exactly. I actually enjoy that alone time in the car. But after a while, it gets to be a lot of alone time. Too much alone time, maybe.

My daily drive takes me through Downtown Cleveland, then southward to the little community of Olmsted Township. There is relatively little traffic, especially once I make my way through downtown and start travelling in the opposite direction of all the south- and west-siders trying to get to their office buildings.

For me, it's just a matter of distance. And it's the longest distance I've ever had to drive in my 24 years in the full-time workforce.

I pass the time in a variety of ways. Audiobooks are good, as are classical music CDs and WCLV, our local classical music station.

I also flip around to other radio stations, particularly the ones focusing on sports talk and 80s music. I can take both of those genres in large doses. Other stuff on the radio? It gets tedious even after a few minutes.

I know people who drive a lot farther every week than I do, but I have to say, that daily 70-mile round trip pushes my patience to the brink. I'll get to the half-hour mark or so and think, "OK, I don't want to be driving anymore. I'm just going to stop here, open up my laptop and do some work on the side of the freeway."

Which I never do, of course, but don't think I'm not tempted.

This is a First World Problem of the highest order. I get that. The fact is, I have a job to commute to. I make enough money to support my family of seven people. I can actually put an English & History degree to good use and for the benefit of society, which is a lot of more than many liberal arts majors can say.

Those are all blessings. But between the boredom, the frequent trips to the gas station and the constant worry about the wear and tear I'm putting on my (admittedly very durable) Honda, I'm starting to wonder whether those "Make $5 million a year working from home!" ads may hold some attraction after all.

The commute from my bedroom to the living room to start the work day would be heavenly. That I could handle, though I guess the audiobooks I listen to would need to be confined to short stories.