My commute is back. Some never stopped but, for me, the easing of restrictions allows a gradual and deliberate return to the office.

Getting to the office means commuting — in my case, a twenty to thirty minute drive. I had commuted to work my whole life — until March of 2020. As with so many of us, working remotely cut my commute to a few steps.

While working remotely from home - and not commuting - I was mindful of the impact of not commuting. Among the things that came to mind: On the one hand, it saved time. On the other hand, office work was always there.

However, I never thought of my commute as “wasted” time.

As I re-establish the routine of my commute, I appreciate the many reasons why the commute was never “wasted” time.