Holy shit it has been a long time since I have posted anything. Work has been all consuming, and I have been too lazy in the meantime. Some things since my last post: I am now 27; Sorority recruitment & IFC recruitment leading to almost 500 new members in the F/S community; David Coleman came to campus; Ali and I have a bedroom set & a new flat screen tv; and, more. However, this post is about a day in my life...
On weekdays, I tend to rise around 7:00 a.m. Then it is a typical prep for the rest of the morning: shower, brush teeth, get dressed, do my hair, and so forth. There is usually some type of caffeine consumption either home brewed or unfortunately Starbucks purchased. Then the drive...
My commute is almost always an hour door-to-door. Some days it is longer because of traffic. The convenience of my trip is that it is reverse commute. The rest of world is trying to cram itself into San Francisco either from the North, East, or South Bay areas. Fortunately for me, not too many people are trying to escape to the Santa Rosa area for work.
The drive provides a nice cross-section of America. I leave a major metropolitan area and have the pleasure of crossing a true American landmark every morning, The Golden Gate Bridge. The hustle and bustle of the city is no where near the chaos of the Northeast atmosphere, but it still provides enough craziness to remind me that I am in a city of over 700,000 people. It is almost always a foggy mess in the morning and drivers who do not cross the GG regularly are clearly identified. They are squeamish and quickly move over to the far right lane in the worry that oncoming traffic may crossover and create a head on collision.
Soon after the bridge is the Rainbow Tunnel. After coming out the other side, the sky parts and the sun comes beaming through to brighten my day. The glare can be a bitch sometimes, but the sunshine is definitely welcomed. It is almost as if the sun is trying to wake me up a second time and prepare me for the new day. The next section of my drive highlights the suburbia of a major city. I drive 101 which is a major thoroughfare and is surrounded by towns and cities on either side. The small towns are modern and have all the amenities of major cities, public transit and Best Buy.
My trek continues north and soon I am in dairy country. The lanes on 101 gradually reduce from four with a commuter lane to two. The smell begins to become more rural as the "Sonoma Aroma" of cows and their flatulence fills the air. It can be unpleasant at times, but it is also a nice reminder of the diversity of socioeconomic status that is prevalent only within an hour stretch of driving. The last twenty minutes of my drive are surrounded by cow pastures on either side, and small snippets of smaller towns trying their best to elevate their status to somewhat modern.
My final few minutes of my commute lead me to a small college town that has not completely embraced its university. There is no doubt that the economic situation of Rohnert Park has been enhanced because of the 8000 college students who work, live, and purchase in this area. The left side of the offramp is a burgeoning area with shopping, movies, and strip malls. The right side, which leads to SSU, is primarily residential and sectioned off communities that seemingly want nothing to do with SSU. The short drive down Rohnert Park Expressway bypasses the homes and leads to more fields and farms that hint to the past of this farming community. The final right turn onto campus is the beginning of meetings, planning sessions, emails, and more. Sometime between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., I am able to leave and return to the city. A reverse of my drive, and a demonstration of the colonization and evolution of America.
Until next time...
-Justin
No comments:
Post a Comment