Friday Feature: Is Nature Part of Your Commute?

This past week, Mother Nature has sent us some pretty challenging commutes. In fact, my whole week feels off-kilter due to a self-declared snow day on Monday. It was snowing when I got up, snow was in the forecast all day and leaving the house was not at the top of my list.

So, I stayed home and told my students to do the same.

Today, Monday feels worlds away. The sun is shining, most of the snow is melted and it's forty degrees outside. But, while I had a moment of appreciation for the sun's warmth when I first stepped outside, I haven't paid much attention since.

Turns out, that's a mistake.

According to an article by Jane Burnett in Big Think, commutes though nature can improve our mental health and sense of well-being. 

A proud product of the Jersey suburbs, I'm about as far from a nature girl as you can possibly imagine, but I have to say that my personal experience supports this assertion. My first job out of graduate school was in a rural school district and I literally drove through apple orchards to get to and from work.

It was a beautiful and relaxing drive and, in the fall, boy did it smell good.

Though I no longer drive through orchards to get to work, my current, much shorter commute affords me plenty of opportunities to appreciate more than just the cars around me if I simply broaden my perspective. When I remember to do this, and couple it with a deep breath, I can feel an almost instantaneous change for the better.

If you turn your gaze to more than the back of the car in front of you, what does your commute have to offer?