The Interstate Pulls You Away From Me

Though an obvious annoyance, traffic is not something I will miss when I leave California. There is something about the sheer static and frustration of being motivated to be somewhere and being forcibly restrained by the metal and rubber of vehicles clogging the arteries that invokes a physical response in me. 

When I see this in front of me: 

My teeth automatically clench and the muscles in my neck and shoulders are stretched and strained in disappointment. 

At least on the CTA of Chicago I'm not behind the wheel and the stress would be just a little less, even though I understand that there are train delays and bus rerouting and a thousand other intricacies I'll have to learn once I get there. 

But I will be able to ready a book or a magazine during my commute. Or listen to podcasts of Rachel Maddow and Randi Rhodes, or write in my journal. Or simply catalog the people on the train... 

Monday morning I left for school around 8:30 a.m. It normally takes me about 45 minutes to travel the 48 miles from my door to Long Beach. Yesterday, due to the three accidents that wreaked havoc on the infamous 91 Freeway it took me 2 hours and 5 minutes and cost me half a tank of gas and the beginning of a migraine.