We’ve all been there. Sitting on I-35 or Mopac in the infamous Austin traffic.
For 7 months, I was commuting Monday through Friday from Kyle to downtown Austin. This drive would take around 30 minutes without traffic but doubles to an hour most days. The. Struggle. Is. Real.
For those of you who are in similar situations (because lets be real, sometimes a trip from North Austin to South Austin takes like 40 minutes), you know that sometimes you have to take your mind off it. My favorite solution is podcasts (a close second is scream-singing Beyoncé).
Here are some of my favorite podcasts for not going crazy in traffic:
Anna Farris is Unqualified
Get two (or more) hilarious actors together, take some callers who are experiencing relationship issues, and you get advice and conversations that will make you forget all about the fact that you just wasted an hour of your life on the road.
Criminal
Described as “stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.” At around 20 minutes per episode, these are great for the typical Austin drive (it basically takes 20 minutes to get anywhere here, amirite?)
The Mortified Podcast
Have you ever read through your old journals or thought about the ridiculous things you did as a kid? Well in this podcast adults share the embarrassing, hilarious things they did as a kid – in front of an audience. These are live-taped (sometimes at the Spider House Ballroom here in Austin!!) and include readings of diaries, letters, lyrics, etc. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine to deal with traffic.
The issue of Texas’ transportation woes is one that state and local government officials have been trying to address for some time. Here in Austin, there is a bond election this November that could improve your morning commute a little. The bond would give $720 million to turn Guadalupe Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, North Lamar Boulevard, Riverside Drive and Burnet Road into “smart corridors.” Traffic lights, bus pullouts, and protected bike paths would be upgraded. You can check out more here: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2016/05/26/austin-mayor-wants-720-million-for-roads.html Do your research and get out to vote in November!
Whether this will be a significant fix or not – there is no immediate solution in sight. So, because we all love Austin so much, podcasts and positive attitudes will have to do for now!
