This Wednesday found me navigating traffic on I-95.

In Miami.

In the rain.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve driven myself through Miami in the 30-plus years that I’ve lived in South Florida, so this day’s adventure was particularly white-knuckled. Besides just simply making my way north and south on I-95, driving the 80 or so miles needed to get from my home to my destination and back home again, I had to pilot myself through ever-changing, construction-zone territory and make timely, on-the-spot choices about entering the express lanes or not. It was a $4.25 gamble with no guarantee that “express” meant “express” as I was soon to find out.

I entered the express lanes on this morning’s drive south, only to come to a complete stand-still not once, but three times. At one point, an hour into my drive that should have only been an hour’s drive, the digital sign I was approaching was blinking a message…my exit was just four miles away but travel time was more than 35 minutes to get there. Grrrrr.

Eventually I arrived at my destination, only 30 minutes late but, well, not much I could do about that.

After four hours in the office, I had let it all go. I had exhaled all of the driving drama that my morning was made of and, feeling refreshed and empowered by my new experience that ultimately ended successfully, I headed home.

I hadn’t made it far into my journey when I saw the north-bound digital sign blinking a message ahead….the express lanes were blocked at…at…..I couldn’t catch the blockage location but that was all I needed to know. The express lanes were blocked. There would be no last-minute choices regarding entering express lanes; I was NOT entering. So I traveled my way home with the congested masses, in the rain and very, very slowly.

As I was doing so, my cell phone alerted me with a chime indicating that I had a new email. Another, different chime alerted me to an incoming text message. Then another new email. Then another new email. Hmmm. Immediately, my mind started racing, wondering if the text/emails were important, if they needed immediate attention, it I was missing out on something I needed to address NOW. But, I was driving. I could not address the emails/texts at that moment.

I could feel the stressful anticipation setting in to my very core.

Then, suddenly, it occurred to me that as I was navigating horrendous traffic in the rain in somewhat unfamiliar territory, there was nothing I could do about my disconnection to the outside world, AND IT FELT GOOD! I felt free. I felt like I was just given permission to chill and let go for awhile because of my inability to even look at my cell phone and all of the connections it held while I was driving. “So sorry, will get to you later. Just absolutely can’t right now,” I thought.

Then, a light bulb went off in my head!

My husband has had this same commuting adventure from home to Miami and back (an hour each way, on a good day)… for almost 20 years! No wonder the guy is so relaxed and good-natured! This commute allows him time to unplug from the world and the work day, guilt-free! His thoughts are his own; no conversation has to be carried, no one has to be entertained, no demands are made on him. He can listen to his beloved Howard Stern Show in peace, he can pay attention to lyrics crooning from the radio, to the scenery if he wants to. His mind can wander to his happy place. He is completely free and unplugged for this one hour. One whole hour! Twice a day! Every! Single! Day!

As strange as it sounds, this one hour of navigating traffic, crazy drivers, and bad weather was actually a gift in disguise. If it weren’t for this time spent alone in the car with nothing but our thoughts or good music or satellite radio entertainment of our plentiful choice to listen to, none of us would likely ever find time in our busy days to make this unplugged and uncluttered balance happen for ourselves.

This was a eureka moment coming from someone who normally does not ever have to drive in stalled, rainy city traffic.

So, next time I have to make my way to Miami (very early tomorrow morning, sigh!), I will take this gift and run with it and enjoy my guilt-free, unplugged time to the max!

What was lovely about today: The loveliest part of today was being welcomed into a new work group. The reason for my commute to Miami was to pick up equipment and to get some training on a new work endeavor that allows me to toil from home doing what I love to do and what I’ve been doing for the past 12 years: Residential appraisal and appraisal review. The genuine smile and kind words of the man who hired me (and the help he gave in schlepping my new laptop, monitor, keyboard, etc. out to my car – which included two elevator rides and maneuvering through a seven-story parking garage), made my commute in the rain and tied-up traffic – and the enlightenment that it caused – worth every single mile.