Community Chat

[Witchy Woman]

@Shanus 

You are not alone.  That is a big fear for me.  Even though I can navigate locally, I fear having to go to an unknown location.

My husband has built in GPS and can get almost anywhere without breaking a sweat.  

It's annoying 

My phone navigation is great, so I can use that, but I am still fearful.  I wonder what's wrong with us, if anything?

[Shanus]

---

@Witchy Woman wrote:

@Shanus 

You are not alone.  That is a big fear for me.  Even though I can navigate locally, I fear having to go to an unknown location.

My husband has built in GPS and can get almost anywhere without breaking a sweat.  

It's annoying 

My phone navigation is great, so I can use that, but I am still fearful.  I wonder what's wrong with us, if anything?

---

@Witchy Woman   My doc said it's a form of anxiety. I kind of agree, but I'm practicing anyway driving to shopping areas where I've never been so I can reward myself with a Cinnabon or one of those big pretzels!! Lol

[smoochy]

biggest difference and adjustment for me, moving from west Michigan to Florida, was that distance and time not equal. In my smallish Michigan city, you could get across town in twenty minutes. Hop on I-94 and drive 150 miles to either Detroit or Chicago in two and a half hours. No problem. 
Here in central Florida, the traffic is horrendous. We are only 37 miles east of Tampa. In Michigan, we lived 37 miles east of Lake Michigan. It took exactly thirty seven minutes to get to the beach. Not here!! 37 miles takes an hour or more. I-4 has the dubious distinction of being named one of the most dangerous highways in America. Traffic is always backed up, stalled, stopped. Ppl still drive like maniacs regardless. 

[songbird]

There is nothing as spread out as Texas is!  Where the nearest McDonalds is almost 90 miles. You can drive up 8 hours and still not leave the state. That's the first thing I found out my first visit.  The longest highway there takes 11 hours to go though.

[songbird]

@smoochy   Yes!  I heard aout I-4 first time I came down there.  Husband drove it.  I haven't!

[beckyb1012]

For two years I lived 30 minutes one way from my office.  So driving to go see family just for the day or to visit a particular location is nothing.

Back in the '90's my husband had to work a few months in the corporate office in Dallas.  He did not want to relocate so he just drove the round trip every day for about 6 months.  I guess it depends on the region and the people involved as well.  4 hours a day in the car for myself I would not do.

[Still Raining]

I learned to drive on LA freeways and always thought in terms of time.  How far is it?  Oh about 90 minutes.

Now that I live rural, the measurement is miles.  Oh the coast is about 50 miles.

Traffic is key!

[Sooner]

I live in Oklahoma.  Wide open spaces around here and people routinely drive 45 minutes to work.  No big deal.  I love living rural with a big-enough city nearby.  Oklahoma City has everything we need, Dallas is a short 3 hr. drive and has everything we need and stuff we don't need but is fun to visit for a day or the weekend.

Money couldn't pay me to live in NYC, LA, Chicago.  I could do Atlanta ok, and southwestern cities like Phoenix.  

Different venues for different lifestyles, loves and needs.  Thank goodness!  I need a big sky, a view, some animals, and fresh air and fields nearby to be happy.  

[Stray]

I live in NE NJ & can walk across the bridge to NYC and near my home, all stores are walkable. If we prefer to go to one of our malls, the County provides jitney service. I did commute to NY my entire career & had the best of both worlds

Our weather can be cold but as I’ve gotten older I appreciate winter more & they’ve been pretty mild the last few years but couldn’t live anywhere without 4 seasons. I love spring & fall.

I love the diversity in my area which is fun & interesting & has lead us to great fusion restaurants.

I can’t imagine traveling for the basic needs or to see family. I do go to NY physicians & I Uber in and out of the City & home in no time. We have access to excellent health care locally & in NY.

I love NJ tomatoes

NJ is often maligned & our accents annoy many but I can’t imagine living anywhere else, imo, it’s a lovely state with a lot to do. But there are those pesky taxes.

[chrystaltree]

I don't think anything about this is about regional differences.  A two hour drive in New Hampshire is no different than a two hour drive in California.  As a nation, we live in our cars.  We love our cars.  People drive long distances for a host of reasons.  My former boss lives in Connecticut and drove to work in Boston 4 days a week.  2 and hafl hours to get to work, 3 hours to get home.  He was offered the promotion and his family didn't want to relocate.  Neither did he.  Half the people on our office commuted from Rhode Island or New Hampshire because housing is so $$$ in the Boston area.   I drive 90 miles to my daughter's house and back almost every week.  Takes about 2 hours.  What's really bad is public transportation.  When I communted to work.  I'd drive to the commuter parking lot, take the train into Boston and catch my company's shuttle bus to our office.  That took 2 to 2.5 hours....each way. Longer on days the Red Sox played.    Parking was $75 a day and limited so we all had to commute.   There are regional differences with language, food, holidays; even the way we dress.  Not so much with drive times.