Dear Fellow Commuters,

I am new to this. Every day I am commuting. On a short day, I spend about a round trip estimate of 50-55 minutes in my car, and on a longer day with errands or trips I spend about an hour and a half in my car. I know for some of you that sounds pathetic like why am I even calling myself a commuter, but for me it is quite the change from my two-minute commute last year to anywhere I needed to go. For the past month that I have spent commuting from my new house, I have begun to accept how much time is spent in my car and I have realized that there are pros and cons to a commute. Sometimes, the alone time to wake up and start my day is great, but at the end of the day when I’m hungry and tired I just wish I could teleport home. I decided that since a good portion of my time is spent in the car, roughly 8 or 9 hours a week, I should make the most of it. I should be fully entertained each commute so that I do not feel like I am merely wasting my time on transportation. If you need some ideas for how to spend your time in the car these are my suggestions:

1.Call your mom!

Because whether you admit it or not, you miss her and she wants to hear your voice. She cares about the minor details of your day and the questions about adulting that you haven’t quite found the answers to. If your mom is anything like mine, she’s selfless and will let you talk at her about yourself a lot longer than you probably should. She’s also easy to talk to. Not only is your conversation keeping you two close, but it is also killing the time and before you know it, you will be exactly where you were headed.

2. Podcasts

A wide variety of entertaining information that undoubtedly can appeal to at least some of your hobbies or interests. Podcasts can simply be informative or they can be thought provoking depending on the subject. I have a wide variety of podcast interests and I choose a topic based on my mood or I search for new popular ones on the Apple Podcast store.

Suggested Podcasts Include:

"Serial" (if there is anyone left who has yet to listen to it)- join reporter Sarah Koenig in the season one investigation of a 1999 murder case. The 13-episode season brings back old witnesses and evidence in order to shine a light on the conviction and whether or not the young man was deserving of his life sentence.

"Nerdist"- Host, Chris Hardwick, interviews current celebrities. His guests include actors/actresses, academics, musicians, and successful entrepreneurs. The podcasts usually last an hour and are guaranteed to give you a laugh or leave you with new insider information about a favorite celebrity.

"The Happy Hour"- Host, Jamie Ivey, interviews successful Christian businesswomen. The podcasts are relatively short and usually inspirational and encouraging. The podcasts also inform listeners about new fashion trends, recipes, and popular films and books.

"NPR: Politics"- the perfect place to prepare for the November election. I will be spending much of my free podcast time with NPR: politics staring October.

3. Playlists

Some days you just need to kill car time the old fashioned way by jamming out to some good music. I do understand that “good music” is a relative term but gather some of the music you enjoy and make a playlist or stick with one artist for a while. I find myself listening to a lot of country during the summer time and the rest of the year I tend to go through different music preference phases. I have a wide musical taste that ranges from Drake to Shania Twain.

My Current Favorite Spotify Playlist: 2006-2010 Rap, R&B, and Pop (if you’re a mid 90’s kid flashback to all the amazing middle school dance parties).

4. Audio Books

Do not let this make you feel old. It is completely socially acceptable to listen to an audio book. My personal suggestion is buying books from Audible or getting a membership. Audible is an audio book seller that is affiliated with Amazon. If you become a member there a $15 per month charge and each month comes with one credit. Most of the books will cost over $15 so for big time audio book listeners or people who spend a lot of time in the car the membership will pay for itself.

I hope you found my suggestions useful and can find an entertainment option that fits your own commuting needs. Good luck to you, and may traffic never steal too much of your sanity.

Sincerely,

That girl who was pretending to be in a karaoke competition singing “It's All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion while she passed you at the green light.