I work Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Each and every day I drive to work I notice how much traffic has changed over the years. I can honestly say it has become worse and isn’t going to get any better any time soon. I leave the gym around 8:30 a.m. in hopes that I can make it to work in 30 minutes each day. Sometimes I don’t make it until a little after nine, but hey, I make it. Without traffic my job is about 20 minutes from me, but with traffic that 20 minutes can turn into anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes. It doesn’t seem like a big difference, but when you’re barely moving it can become frustrating.

Attention to all of the people who want to move to Houston: don’t! Just don’t do it. Our traffic is already bad and the more people we have move to the city, the more our traffic will resemble Los Angeles traffic (and their traffic is not pretty). I’m just joking to those of you who are trying to move here, I wouldn’t want the citizens of another city angry at me moving to their city, but I’m not joking about the traffic. Our traffic has become horrendous. When I drive home from school in the middle of the day (from Seguin, TX), I should not be in traffic. Especially in the middle of a work or school day, I should be able to make it straight home without hitting my brakes. During the school year when I decide to come back home one day during the week, I have no time when I leave Seguin to make sure I’m not in too much traffic. It takes me a little over an hour and 45 minutes to get to the Katy area, now with all of the traffic, it takes me another 45 minutes to get to my house, which can be frustrating after being in a car for more than an hour.

Every day I’m in traffic I have to keep myself occupied with music so I don’t become agitated (I recommend this). Yes, you’re listening to music when you’re driving, but are you really listening, or are you rushing and cursing out cars for cutting in front of you? When I say listen I mean I really get into the song and sing along, especially if it’s a song I love. I pump myself up before I have to go to work. I’m telling you if you don’t do it, you should try it. The time passes by ten times faster and you’ll notice you’ll be at your job before you know it. Or if you’re going home after a long day of work, jam on the way back, it’ll seem as though you get home faster. I usually listen to R&B or soft music on my way to work, to calm my nerves. But after work I’m usually listening to Hip Hop and rap, to celebrate another day on the job and the fact that I’m on my way home after a long day (I also base my selection on how I’m feeling to determine which genre goes with the morning and evening as well).

I personally can’t stand traffic, and I know the people around me can’t either. The absolutely only day that we can be free from traffic is on Sundays, and even then sometimes traffic can build in the middle of the day. But hey, it’s part of being in a booming city.