Long Commutes: CB Students On The Road

If you’re a Christian Brothers student reading this article, you most likely have the privilege of living close to campus. Or at least in Sacramento. Or Elk Grove. Or maybe even Carmichael.

But not me. 

I am currently sitting in my bed, writing this article from beautiful Winters, California. My Apple Maps say it would take me about 42 minutes to get to campus. 

When people ask where I live, most are stunned at my response, shocked by the rigor of my commute. A handful of inquirers don’t even know where Winters is. 

I usually respond with “Around 25 minutes past Davis”.

They say “There are things past Davis besides farms?”

Yes, yes there are.

However, it’s not only me making this commute from Winters, but a handful of other students at CB, such as Drew Perry (‘23) and Natalie Rominger (‘23), who also make this commute every morning. 

Drew arguably has it the hardest, attempting to balance his schedule with playing Varsity basketball and being responsible for the safe travels of his freshman brother and junior sister, all while making time for homework and studying. 

He voiced an unfavorable opinion towards his commute, feeling that he “[drives] way too much. It makes [him] feel at a disadvantage compared to Sacramento friends”.

On the other hand, Natalie enjoys her peaceful drive feeling that it “gives [her] more time to listen to music and think about the day”. 

I agree with both Drew and Natalie, as sometimes the drive feels tedious, especially on the weekends when I go to see friends. It makes early mornings and late nights even harder, as I have to drive an extra 45 minutes, sometimes having to traverse fog, flooding and terrible traffic. 

But I can also appreciate my drive as a peaceful time to focus on nothing but the road and my inner thoughts. 

Despite our differing thoughts about our commute, if there is one thing we can all agree on, we do drive way too much. From last year alone, between myself, Drew and Natalie, we have put 60,000 cumulative miles on our cars.

But as much as I would like to say I’ve completely hated my time spent on the road, my commute and I have a bitter-sweet relationship. While I probably spend way too much time in the car (around an hour and a half a day), the drives allow me more time to listen to music and even a few podcasts.

On days when I leave at 7 AM for moot court practice, sometimes I can even catch a glimpse of a beautiful sunrise. And when I return at 5 PM from sports medicine, a beautiful sunset. 

So as I look back upon my career at Christian Brothers, I honestly wouldn’t like to have done it any other way. My commute has caused me plenty of inconveniences, but also allowed me time for music, introspection, learning, and joy. 

P.S. If you are my teacher and reading this, please don’t mark me late again.