Doing Time on the Road

It would be great if we could "beam ourselves" instantaneously around from place to place (as in Star Trek), rather than having to drive cars or taking public transportation.



I can't complain, though, since it still beats walking (but not considering the aerobic exercise benefit of walking). But this year we had to spend an extra hour on our daily commutes to drop Hikaru off at grandma's house (our childcare provider) and then to work. I estimate that I've spent roughly 360 hours in the car this year. That's a lot of time to spend inside a metal box with wheels.

So what did we do with those 360 hours inside the car? For Hikaru, he spent most of this time sleeping. I wish I could have spent that time sleeping as well (due to our sleep-deprived state), but of course, I'm the driver. So here's a few things that I've done with my time on the road.

• Contemplate the day and the meaning of life
• Think about what to eat for lunch
• Think about what to make for dinner
  
• Listen to crazy people on AM talk radio
  
• Listen to podcasts (I have an iPod for this reason only)
  
• Sing a song or compose a tune (which only Hikaru hears)
  
• Observe how other people drive

If anyone has other ideas or suggestions, please comment below. Sometimes driving on the freeway is like riding in an elevator and watching the numbers change for each floor. When the correct exit appears, we get off (using very little brain activity).



Driving in downtown rush-hour traffic is the certainty of stop-and-go due to accidents, road construction, or just too many other cars. I've learning better, though, to not stress by keeping a "go with the flow" attitude -- eventually we get to where we wanted to go.