When I first started at Indium Corporation, I was full of excitement and determination. In fact, I was so focused on the end goal of my project. I did not even think about what challenges I may come across, like the hour-long drive to and from work every day. Born and raised in Syracuse, NY, I had been to the Utica area many times, whether it was to visit friends, or just as a pit stop to grab some pizza on a long road trip up North. I originally didn't mind the drive as it was still new to me, and all I could think about is how excited I was to be a part of Indium Corporation. However, slowly but surely, the drive seemed longer and longer as the days of my internship went on.
"你疯了吗？""不累吗？""哇......你一定是被汽油害死了！"这些话每天都会听到，但我决心充分利用我的旅行。要是我有个司机就好了，那样我就可以坐在后排玩大金刚，吃顿正餐，然后睡觉！那该多好啊不幸的是，我没有这样的奢侈品，所以我不得不在开车时发挥创意。
我开始通勤时只听音乐。谁不喜欢在去做最棒的工作的路上听着自己喜欢的音乐呢？但这种方式很快就过时了，因为我找不到新的音乐。为了让时间过得更快，我转向了我最喜欢的播客。这些播客通常是我在长途驾驶时最喜欢听的，因为总能从中学到一些东西。我一直都喜欢学习新东西，无论是如何获得财务自由、天空为什么是蓝色的，还是蝴蝶是否真的用脚品尝（有趣的事实是：它们确实用脚品尝）。
Even though I love learning new things and I am always eager to find new music I will enjoy, I needed something else to make the commute seem shorter. I am sure everyone has played the license plate game – how many states can you spot on a long road trip? This was my go-to activity to pass the time. However, I also started counting how many cars of a specific color I pass each day: red, white, and hot pink. Yes, I can say I have seen a hot pink Toyota Rav 4 glistening in the early sun. I even counted how many tractor trailers I pass on my daily commute (since I am mostly on a major highway).
Now that I know the words to nearly every Luke Combs song; have learned why woodpeckers don't get headaches; counted 87 red cars, 43 green cars, and one lonely hot pink car; saw license plates from 17 different states (in one commute); and passed 23 tractor trailers, I can now say I no longer dread the long drive to work every day. Creativity has not always been a strong suit of mine, but when it became necessary to pass the time, I quickly learned to pick it up and apply it. Even though two hours of driving is a lot, I have found ways to make it quite enjoyable and painless.
下次旅行再见、
布兰登-齐奇
