The Inner Monologue

Let’s play a game called “Would You Rather?”

Option 1:

• Wake up at a reasonable hour.
• Stroll (or bike, or take a leisurely 10-minute drive) to work.
• Have actual free time in the evenings because you’re not stuck in soul-crushing traffic.
• Save money on gas, car maintenance, and possibly even therapy.
• Drive to the countryside when you feel like it on weekends, enjoying open roads instead of brake lights.

Option 2:

• Wake up before the sun because your “idyllic” country home is actually a hostage situation.
• Spend 2+ hours a day in a metal box, listening to podcasts about “mindfulness” while fantasizing about ramming the car in front of you.
• Pay a small fortune in gas, tolls, and parking just for the privilege of being miserable.
• Arrive home after dark, too exhausted to enjoy your “peaceful retreat” because you still have to make dinner and pretend to be a functional human.
• Realize too late that “getting away from it all” actually means “getting away from your own sanity.”

But sure, go ahead—buy that charming farmhouse two hours outside the city. Tell yourself the commute is “worth it” for the fresh air and starry nights. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be enjoying weeknight dinners, spontaneous happy hours, and not spending 20% of our lives in traffic.

Live closer to work. Drive to fun. It’s not rocket science—it’s just basic math (and self-preservation).

—A Former Commuter Who Learned the Hard Way