Adios South Austin Commute

Day: 349
High Temp: 97F

Yes, I am sorry. ANOTHER post about moving. I feel like I have been obsessing about moving since we got here a year ago, but this probably is not my last moving-related blog entry. I still don't have any pictures of the cute new Mint House to post. Did I mention the Mint House has dark teal trim? Only in Austin...

I think I have joked before that it doesn't take any longer than 10 minutes to get from any one point to any other point within the ACL (that is Austin City Limits to those of you not in the know). That may be an understatement, as my daily commute to campus, via Elly, is at least twice that.  It's a fairly easy and fast 20 minutes in the mornings (what, no one else but me has to be in the office by 8am??) By 5:20 in the afternoon, when I hit the intersection at Congress and Cesar Chavez, there is a full-blown, mini-urban traffic jam situation happening. I always sit through at least 4 light cycles at that intersection before I am able to make my left turn.  On a normal traffic day, it takes me about 30 minutes to drive the 3 miles home.

By most urban standards, it's probably not that bad. For Austin, it seems kind of ridiculous. The whole problem is that I have to drive THROUGH downtown to get to campus.

Well ladies and gents, after today's commute, that will no longer be true. You see, we are moving north of campus, and that means I only have to drive through quiet residential neighborhoods to get to campus! I drove the new commute last night afterwork because I had to go pick up a package at the Mint House.  I was in Elly by 5:12, and pulling into our new driveway by 5:19. I kid you not, in what should have been the full throes of rush hour, it took me only 7 minutes to get home.  In truth, the new house is only .2 miles closer to campus than our current place. But not having to drive through downtown makes all the difference.

There are lots of things I will miss about South Austin, mainly this, this and this.  However, spending less time in my car every day, and more time with Tom and the Home-doggy are worth being farther from my favorite tacos. I can always visit those places on a quiet Sunday afternoon.