the time between

I started to think today about my experiences singing with the Master Chorale of Washington (I've chosen not to sing with them again next year). It was fun, but getting back and forth to D.C. took almost as much time as rehearsals and practice. I started to think about how logistics and commutes drain the energy for the actual activities they bring us to. Here are a few examples:

Master Chorale -
commute - 2 hrs weekly (more, during the time of concerts)
add meeting with carpool folk, dropping them off - 30 min extra, weekly

That's 2.5 hrs of commuting for a 2.5 hr rehearsal.

The Day Job -

commute - 13 hrs per week
actual time at work - 37.5 hrs per week


The Church Job -
commute - 3 hrs per week
actual time at church - 5 hrs per week

adding this to short trips for groceries, visits, etc.:
I spent 20 hrs per week IN MY CAR!

omg, I didn't think it was going to be that bad.
I have to go and take a nap, now.

Ok, having moved to Leesburg and quite the choir......

work commute = 5 hrs weekly
church commute = 1 hr weekly
back and forth to md for friend visits, fun stuff in dc, etc. = 3 hrs weekly
grocery store, etc. = 1 hr weekly
driving time total: 10 hrs per week

so supposedly, I'll be getting back 10 hrs of my life and saving $37.50 in gas every week. Theoretically...