Twice a day

This is my view twice a day. Lots of people say, "you are so lucky to commute by ferry."

I guess.

I guess being jammed onto a giant boat with lots of other stressed out commuters is not the worst way to travel. It has its moments. Like when people have full-on phone conferences while I am trying to feditate (ferry mediation). Or when I leave the office late and sprint full speed (which is rather slow) in my heals to the boat. Not a pretty sight. Or when tourists think it is okay for their children to run around the boat like it is a giant play thing. Children - Please take note I am trying to unwind from the day and if you bump my leg again you are going overboard.

But there are other things I am learning to appreciate. Seventy minutes of reading. I have read more this year than in any other year of my life. Counting waves. Listening to Pema Chodron on my Ipod. Starting a foga class (ferry yoga, still in negotiation stages). And of course, I could be jammed up on I-5 pouring cash into my gas tank and praying there isn't an accident somewhere up ahead.

So today I am grateful for a commute that has taken me 11 months to adjust to, a commute that made me pull my hair out because I could not be controlled by a strict schedule, because I had anxiety about not being able to reach Jason in an emergency, and on days when we missed the ferry, a commute that made me want to throw myself into Puget Sound.

Twice a day. This is my view. And I am grateful because this year, more than any other time in my life, I needed a reminder that I am not in control of everything. That sometimes in the chaos of our daily lives we need to do nothing but relax and enjoy the view.