Inside My OC-to-LA Commute Routine
We moved to Orange County to build the life we wanted. I didn’t expect that life to include spending 15 hours in the car every week.
It’s been almost a year since my husband and I moved from West LA to Orange County. As newlyweds, we wanted to be closer to our families, start planting roots to grow our family, and be closer to his job. Unfortunately, as my job based in Santa Monica started to pick up, so did the demands of commuting. I got promoted into a more managerial role, joined a different team, and the emphasis on in-office presence grew. Now, I commute from central Orange County to Santa Monica at least 3-4 days a week.
I know this commute may be nothing for some, but it didn’t take long for it to start impacting my energy, mood, and habits. So here’s what I’ve learned to make my 50+ mile drive a little more bearable and livable.
My car has unexpectedly become my main social space. When I was in high school and my brother left for college, we used to always call each other while driving. I guess that habit stuck with me, because to this day I associate the car with great catch-up phone calls. At its peak, my commute can take up to two and a half hours. So you best believe I’m making most of my calls in the car. Unfortunately, my commute has cut down my availability and energy to connect with people in person. Now I more regularly connect with family, friends, and even networking contacts while I’m on the road.
Switch up what you’re listening to. At a certain point, neither music nor podcasts alone do the trick for me. And as much as I love a good book, audiobooks just don’t register in my brain. I’ve found that breaking my commute into sections like podcasts, albums, and phone calls helps a lot. For example, my morning commute usually starts with a shorter podcast like The Town with Matthew Belloni. Since I work in the entertainment industry, it’s a great way to get my brain primed for the day with entertainment business news. Then I might have a quick call with my husband while he’s taking our dog out for a walk, and we’ll discuss what dinner or movie we want to enjoy together when I get home. For the last stretch of my commute, I might start my morning karaoke to get a little pumped up before facing the day. All in all, breaking things up helps me stay more present throughout the drive.
The commute may be taking my time, but it will not take my skin. I’ve always had freckles, but man, I was not prepared for the sun damage I’d face being in the car this much. You know that picture of the truck driver with one side of his face way older than the other? That’s how I feel. Now, putting SPF on before getting in the car is a non-negotiable. My favorite sunscreen right now is the Biore UV Aqua Rich because its so lightweight and reminds me of our trip to Japan where I first discovered it.
Don’t forget to fill up your own tank. I’ve never really had a big appetite in the morning, but sitting in the car for hours can really get my stomach grumbling. Having an easy one-handed breakfast like a protein smoothie or egg bite has been an easy way to avoid unleashing a scary combination of hanger and road rage. I’ll admit that having this ready for my commute daily isn’t always realistic, but I almost always have a massive water bottle with me. If I’m not able to get any food in during my drive, I at least use it as a way to get my daily water intake. Just be careful to time this correctly so you don’t have to add a sketchy bathroom pit stop to your commute.
Some conversations are better in silence. One thing a loooong drive gives you? Lots of alone time to think. I do a ton of self-reflection, planning, and daydreaming. I used to drag myself into the office after the drive and feel like my energy was already spent for the day. Now, I try to give myself about 15 minutes in the car to think about things I can do during my workday to make it successful. As soon as I get into the office, I’m primed with the mindset to get things done. The key is not letting myself spiral or ruminate on things I can’t yet act on. And the drive home is not so different. It’s a literal transition from the tradeoff of my commute to the life I’m trying to build at home. So this is not the time for me to think about the emails I didn’t reply to, it’s about the date night I’m about to have with my husband.
I still don’t love my commute, and I’m not sure I ever will. But when I’m sitting in standstill traffic on the 405, I literally can’t be the only one. I’m learning that adulthood often looks like choosing tradeoffs you can live with. Right now, my career in LA and my life in OC both provide me with plenty to be grateful for. The in-between is not permanent. It just happens to be where I’m at right now.
