Odd realization

On Thursday night I drove to Los Altos for book club.  I hadn't finished the book - hadn't even gotten half-way through even - but I was pretty sure it would be OK if I showed up anyway.

On the way there, driving alone down the highway, I realized something odd.  While I can't say that I've really missed work (I've stayed on top of email enough that I was never truly disconnected from it), there was something I did miss that I couldn't quite put my finger on.  I knew I missed seeing the folks from school, but I was hearing from them via email and a few visits, so that wasn't really it.  I knew I missed the students and sense of purpose and teaching, but having the Salvateenies here has definitely given me a new sense of purpose and they're learning new things all the time.  So, what was it?

About ten minutes down 280, it came to me.  I missed the commute!  That may seem strange, but it was the time alone in the car, listening to whatever I want to on the radio (including audio books, which might've helped me finish the one for this month!), singing along at the top of my lungs, reflecting on the day, decompressing from the day, escaping from the day, or all of the above.

I am incredibly lucky to have had my husband home with me five days a week as we've started to slowly get used to being parents.  But it also means that neither of us has any time alone anymore.  I know, I know - and we'll never have any time alone again now that we have triplets.  But, before, Joe would have time where I wasn't in his hair during the day, and I'd have time at night when he was at the ballpark.  Or, during the off-season, I'd still have that hour and a half in the car every day.

Or maybe I'm just trying to psych myself up to go back to work next month.  That could be it too.