The daily commute can get pretty tiring and monotonous so I've been doing my best to avoid any stressful situations. Here are the top ways I set out to enjoy the drive.
Avoid the tollway in the morning – It may take me a few minutes longer to arrive at work, but check out the view I get to take in below. There's people fishing, boating, hiking/biking through the forest preserve and enjoying a beautiful start to the day. I couldn't go another day without stopping off to take some photos.
I get by with a little help from my friends – Friends help me through the drive in two ways: they help me rock out in the morning and catch up in the evening. I have friends who make me CDs to make the morning drive a little more upbeat. And I spend the majority of my time on the way home catching up with friends displaced all over the country. It's crazy to compare being in college where all your friends are within a mile radius to now being long drives or plane rides away. Having my hour commute home provides a solid amount of time to remain connected within a completely hectic schedule.
Get to know someone new – I've been working to take my online relationships offline through Skype chats with PR pros like @prtini and @arikhanson who offered to open up their network. But since I can't take advantage of Skype in the car I've resorted to the old fashioned telephone call. I've gone out on some limbs to connect with others based on interests we shared on Twitter or compelling blog posts. @LMSandelin and @briannamnelson are two of the first connections I've made recently (and I'm definitely glad we did!). We chatted about PR, college and Chicago – when we ended the conversations, I felt like we were old friends. Next up on my list to connect with (once the crazy schedules align ; ) are new PR pros and PR pros-to-be: @Mikinzie, @SJOgborn, @lttsnyder, @smt504 and @luckyAndi – I look forward to getting to know these gals much better in the future.
I'm always looking to improve the drive – anything I'm missing to make it a little more fun?
Going with the Flo 
Just sent you a note, looking forward to it!