commuting.

i was reading an article from the new yorker the other day about commuting. it listed the longest daily commute time as seven hours. SEVEN HOURS!!! imagine spending that much time a day getting to work & home again. i can't imagine that. the location of that commute was around silicon valley in california. the writer spent time with people who commute long distances, in areas like the new york metropolis (pennsylvania) and atlanta. i am so incredibly thankful to live in a place like portland. my commute before was around 12-20 min, and now it's only 30 seconds. :) j's commute varies from 20-40 min, depending on traffic. he sometimes bikes to work when the weather is nice. i guess some people have long commutes in this area, for those who choose to live in the columbia gorge area, especially in hood river. however, for most people, commutes are relatively short. housing prices here are nowhere near what they are in new jersey/new york/pennsylvania or california, but they are rising pretty consistently. i feel extremely fortunate to have entered the housing market a few years ago.