why I love my commute

That seems a silly thing to say, considering how much I probably mention my commute in any my-life-is-harder-than-yours contest.  I drive 30 miles (one way) to work every day, right about the time that rush hour traffic begins, though fortunately I manage to avoid the most congested freeways.  It costs me a small fortune in gas, though with my recent move I'm filling up once a week rather than once every 5 or 6 days (but that's because I'm closer to everything else, and farther from work).  It takes me 30-40 minutes to get just about anywhere after work.

But I realized yesterday that I would probably really miss my commute, were circumstances to change.  (Not to mention missing my wonderful job!  I love my job!)  If my daily drive were a few minutes along surface streets, maybe a quick couple exits on the freeway, I would miss out.

Long drives mean time to think.  I have few distractions, and can take a breather to sort through the chaos of my mind, since the rest of my schedule is so full of school and work and teaching and life.  I can listen to music and drown out the thoughts if I need, or I can ride in silence, praying and spending time with God.  Occasionally I can just sit and feel the icy air conditioner on a hot day, no music (especially if my noise threshold for the day has been crossed), and just let my mind stay blank, a total break from the outside world.

The best thing about long drives, though, is the scenery.  The Valley is beautiful.  Now, when I think of Germany and other gorgeously green, rainy, forested, hilly places where moss is rich underfoot and trees tower and you can smell the moisture in the air, I will be the first to say Phoenix is ugly - in comparison.  But it has it's own kind of beauty.  There is a hill as you come east along the 101, after 7th street, where suddenly the hill drops away and the northeast valley is spread before you, stretching on as far as you can see, punctuated by mountains.  Driving up the 101 north, it sometimes feels like you're on the edge of the city, even though it goes on for miles, because you can look straight out across fields to more mountains.  The sky is another marvel, how it sometimes seems to go on forever, a bright blue bowl over the valley, stretching away past the mountains to the horizon.  I love the puffy clouds that dot the sky this time of year, especially when they start to turn dark and bring the promise of rain.  Storm clouds, high clouds, far away distant clouds, they're always fun to watch.

When I get off work, at least at this time of year, it's usually sunset, or moonrise, or both.  I get a chance daily to see the artistry of the Creator displayed across the desert.  Sometimes I catch the golden evening sunshine that touches everything with red and gold and fire, making the mountains distinct and clear, highlighting every rock and bush with purple shadows.  Other times the sun is hidden, and the east dissolves into a flat blue, grey, and purple wall, hazy and indistinct, with the moon a glowing white circle above.  Then there are the clouds!  Pink and orange and yellow, soft or edged with silver, splashes of color, deep shadows, or back-lit rain falling down.  And the sun!  A bright orange disc or golden rays shooting out from clouds, peeking from behind mountains, setting the sky aflame.  Every unique sunset is gorgeous, and I have this time with nothing more urgent to do than to enjoy them.