I guess I will chime in. I make decent pay, the wife does not work and I have a 6 mile commute. It is "comfortable" so to speak. I turned down a job at the KIA plant in S Georgia 2 years ago because it was 1 1/2 hours 1 way...that would have been a career move and probably retired us comfortably. I recently turned down a job at a company we work closely with everyday, not a big move at this time, but huge room for growth and pay. They are 60ish miles from the house, but still a 1 1/2 hour drive. I am almost topped out where I am currently, unless I move. I would love to tell you commute does not matter, but 3 extra hours with my wife, 2 year old and born anyday now son... well I guess it does matter. I will have to leave my comfort zone soon and drive further in order to give my family the life i want to give them...and the commute will come. We are within 15 miles of all inlaws on both sides, so we won't move far. Reading all that seams as if I am letting my commute be used as an excuse to leave my bubble...so maybe next time we talk I will have done just that, left my bubble and drove to greener pastures.
From my bedroom to my computer is about 30'. It's rough. I used to commute in Chicagoland. Never seemed to go far very far but it sure took forever. I don't miss that at all.
I don't do 63 miles but I do go 33 and I would recommend a decent car that you like being in for 2-3 hours a day. I am in my car a couple hours a day and don't mind it at all. I traded in my Suburban and got an 09 Subaru Forester. Cut my gas bill in half and the money I saved from that makes half of the car payment. With regular maintenance and oil changes ( I do those) I expect to be able to give the car to my 9 year old daughter when she is 16. By then I am thinking the commute will be over for me anyway LOL. My only commute at that point will be to wherever I am hunting that day :D .
I freakin' hate my commute. It's 32 miles one way, mostly interstate. People here don't know how to drive so it becomes a parking lot even on the sunny days without inclement weather. To be honest, I prefer driving in downtown LA rush hour than here. My wife and I are coming up on a major change in our lives. Our son is going into the Marines after high school and we both want to leave where we currently live. I want to move closer to work so my commute isn't so far, as well as being closer to most things I'm active in. I typically commute part of the way by bicycle for exercise, training and save money (I drive a full size van). We're also looking at going into a single level townhome due to how active and busy we are so that don't have to worry about outside maintenance, etc. Not to mention as my wife gets older, she'll have medical issues to contend with. We don't live in a "bad" area, really. Most stores are within a mile. Decent public hunting areas within 15 minute drive, and a Gander Mountain about 5 miles from me. I've lived in this city since 1980 and I'm ready for a move. Aside from my wife and son, I really don't have any other family members here on my side. My wife's family is spread out so there isn't a lot holding us back. Part of me also wants to use this opportunity to work and travel around the US for a few years. My wife and I are 39 and we'll be empty nesters. Because of having our son young, we never got a chance to travel and just enjoy each other before taking on the responsibility of a family (it was a short pregnancy...) so it could be an opportune time. I joke around with people on occasion saying that I'd gladly sell the home for little more than what we owe on it (not upside down). Only a few more months...
I loathe commuting. My daily commute at the moment isnt that bad, but it hangs by a thread of turning into a nightmare on any given day. It takes me about 25 minutes, plus a 12 minute walk from where I park to where I work. So 37-40 minutes total. My drive is into the city and the road I take runs under heavy construction in summer. Typically my commutes then jump to an hour total time. Traffic and stupid drivers bother me more than actual time spent driving.
I drive 6.5 miles to work. I live in a very small town of 60 some people. I can shoot in my back yard. I have shot bow from the neighbor's yard to get more range. Nobody bothers me. Heck if I wanted to... I could hunt about a 100 yards from the house. The kids love the place and have picked up sheds right in town. There are two bars with one running a cafe also. I don't drink much and lucky if I make it to the bar once a year. It's peaceful without the headaches of a big ctiy. Taxes are dirt cheap on the 4 lots I own. This big old house was dirt cheap to buy. I got lucky and bought the place at the right time. The only downside is having to drive to larger town for groceries and other supplies which is 30 miles or 73 miles to the city. My wife will drive once a week for groceries so it isn't bad at all. I am lucky if I make out of here once a month... which is usually 1 more time then I want to go in a month. This place has everything I need for the most part. If it would have had a bowling alley... it would have been perfect !!! :D If I would ever decide to move... I will get my money out of it and more. Been a good investment and a great place to raise a family. Tim
6.3 miles - 8 mins since we moved off base, but it sucks since I have to wear my service uniform every day not cammies since we are prohibited. Its nice to live close to work but I miss being around more Marines every day since most of the folks who work for me (about 60+) are civvies. I'd drive more just to work with Marines every day.
I live about 45 minutes from work. Sometimes my commute is a little longer up to 1 hour if the roads are slick. My wife and I work and commute together at the same school. I live in a beautiful place imo. My place is nestled up off of lake Coeur D Alene about 1 mile. The mountains are out my back door and all around my place other than the lake out in front of our place down the canyon. Elk, Moose, Deer, Bear, Wild turkeys, Coons, Grouse and the occasional bobcat, cougar and wolf literally walk by my home. The deer and elk eat in my front and back yards. I own a small piece of ground, 12 acres but its nestled in a very nice spot. I have several thousand acres I can hunt within 30 minutes of my home..Mostly public some private. Elk bugle so close to my home through the night that we often have a hard time sleeping in Aug and Sept.. Bears tear up my apple trees, Moose have stepped on my back porch. I really do love where I live and feel like the commute is worth the price of peace of mind and what I get to offer my sons in regards to such an outdoor rich environment.
Three minutes to work. 10 minutes to hunting farms. I absolutely could not commute to a job. An hour each way would equal over 500 hours a year of windshield time that would make me crazy. I do respect those that make the sacrifice.
Yeah, I should add, I don't have to work in the summers, we get a nice thanksgiving, christmas and spring break from work too.... it makes the commute manageable forsure..
That's a big part of my argument is that I lose a good amount of time that I could be doing something else...
