Mixing it up (Kristi-style)

Lately I've been feeling a bit of discontent with my daily commute/the amount of driving I do--which is odd for me because normally I don't mind driving all over the city (because I love the things I'm doing and/or the people I'm going to see!). I drive more than 300 miles a week (almost exclusively freeway driving) and I usually try to multi-task the time spent in the car (ie, using my cellphone to reach out to friends/family, listening to an audio book, spending time in prayer, rocking out to the radio, etc.), but lately even those things are starting to irritate me.

So, I decided to mix up some of my normal driving routes--my route to work is pretty set in stone, but I've been mixing up the routes I take home from church on Sundays, choir practice on Wednesdays, and class on Tuesdays.

And though it's still freeway driving, the change in "scenery" has been refreshing. (I know, I know--I need to get a life.)

I came across this post from a blog called "Get Lucky: Bite Sized Pieces of Luck For Every Day" and thought the author's view on taking a different route to work were right up my alley. I've included a portion of the post below.

People often take the same route to work and back every single day turning every commute into a routine. After a while, they don’t notice anything around them and could probably make it to work with their eyes closed. People get so used to the same thing that they shut out anything that is going on, even right in front of them. If there is an accident on the road, the only reason many people notice is because it causes traffic, otherwise, it might not even register.

By taking a new route to work, it forces you to pay attention to what is around you so that you know where you are going and you head in the right direction. By paying attention you notice many things that can lead to opportunities such as learning about a new local business that offers a service that you were never able to get in your neighborhood.

Taking a new or different route lets you see something different than you do on a normal day and can put you in a better mood. When taking the same route everyday and seeing the same things every single day, you can get bored, tired and frustrated which will lead to a worse mood.

I'm not sure that diverging from my normal driving habits has increased my luck, but I definitely agree that I'm paying attention in a different way, and that my mood has been improved. And, I've discovered that the city is beautiful--even when I'm surrounded by the cars and concrete of freeway driving. Of course I'm watching the road and traffic in front of me, but I'm also noticing the beauty of the skyline before me--whether it be the numerous mountain ranges (Phoenix is said to have some of the best urban hiking in the nation), or the different buildings of downtown and central Phoenix, or the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.

So, though I'm not taking "a new route to work," I am trying to try new routes to other places--and I'm enjoying the change from the hum-drum of my normal routine--and who knows, maybe I'll discover a great new restaurant or card shop along my route!