My living situation has been a bit complicated during breaks from school in the past year. The University of Oregon, and my old dorm room, are in Eugene, while I technically still live with my parents about 45 minutes away in my hometown. There wasn't a huge need for income since I was living on campus, but I figured it would be beneficial to save up for my new apartment's cost.

Since I knew I would eventually be moving to Eugene for school, I figured it would make more sense to find a job there rather back home. The commute worked out just fine during the school year, but getting to work while staying at home over breaks proved to present its own set of issues. It wouldn't make sense to leave my job for the break only to once again go through the process of finding a new one when I returned, and more time on my hands meant more time to earn money.

The plan was pretty straightforward - just drive in between the two cities during the duration of the break. As you may have already guessed, this leads to frequent trips to the gas station as well as a dent in my wallet to fill up my car's tank. However, I have the privilege of temporarily living at home without having to worry about rent, so I have money to spare.

The other main issue with this setup is leaving for work earlier than your coworkers because you have to account for the driving distance and any potential traffic jams. I have a bad habit of going to bed late (this article is being written at 4:00 am, whoops) that doesn't pair well with needing to get up early to get ready AND making the commute to work while also not returning home until about an hour after my shift ends. Despite these troubles, however, I actually look forward to the drive.

It's no surprise to anyone that I'm a theatre nerd, especially when it comes to musicals. One of my favorite things to do while I drive is sing along to show soundtracks (shoutout to Spotify premium) which helps practice my limited singing skills, eases stress while I giggle at a particularly enjoyable song (*cough cough* "Why Did It Have To Be Me?" from the "Mamma Mia!" sequel *cough cough*), or vent any frustrations I'm dealing with through an intense or fast-paced song. Plus, if I had a rough morning and I'm on my way to work, the long drive allows me to regulate my mood and compose myself so I can give my best effort into my job.

All this simply boils down to always looking at the bright side of a tricky situation. As a human being, you are going to deal with strife, but you are also going to do things that you enjoy such as hobbies, spending time with loved ones, and other interests. Personally, I find it easy to spiral into a sea of self-doubt and worry, so I use optimism to comfort myself. Any time you are wondering "what if this goes wrong?" it's worthwhile to also ask yourself "what if this goes right?"

Unfortunately, not all situations will turn out in your favor. When this happens, take the time you need to recuperate and then develop a game plan to overcome the obstacle. When you get to the other side, or the other city in my case, you'll have solved the problem and have grown as a person because of it.