Is a Commute a Commune with the Highway?

11/19/09
For approximately 6 weeks I have been communing with the hoard of Southern California Commuters. I drive to San Diego every day for work. The commute is just under an hour with no traffic, but there is usually traffic. In the morning I get to cruise by the ocean for 30 minutes. The sun comes up over the hills to my left and it gleams off the crashing waves to my right. Right about the time the higway pulls away from teh view it also slows down, way down. In the evening I get fabulous sunsets and if I left early enough (4pm) I missed the worst of the traffic. At first the drive didn't bother me. The view was wonderful. I got audiobooks from the library and listened to my quickly growing CD collection. (It pays to be friends with those who love music). I now know all the lyrics to the wicked soundtrack and have developed a true appreciation for Def Leppard and Kings of Leon. I have listened to books by Richard Feynman, Dr. Weil, and am currently boning up on the History of Everything, by Bill Bryson.
Despite all this wonderful distraction I still get that antsy gut wrenching feeling everyday before my evening commute. I don't want to sit in bumper to bumper traffic for 30 minutes, for 10 minutes, for 2 minutes. I want to be home. I find myself getting off the highway at the first sign of traffic and taking the local business or rural roads. My favorites are the Pacific Coast highway (which alternates between beautiful coastal drive to 25MPH, stop sign every 50 feet town road) and Via de Valle (a road that winds like a ribbon in the wind). Of course these alternate routes are never faster, but at least I am engaged in driving them.
I guess for now my life is truly a highway, I just hope my scenic detours don't keep me driving all night long. . . . . (wah wah wah)