55 is my new best friend

I don't know why I didn't realize this six months ago. But 55 is hands-down the absolute best way to drive from the city of Chicago into its many, many suburbs. Of course, my commute is usually in the opposite direction of the majority of traffic, so you might correct me if you do in fact travel into the city for your 9-to-5 and then return to those oh-so-spacious suburbs in the evening. [Why would you rather commute to the suburbs at night, which is the time usually reserved for the let's-get-out-of-the-house activities, away from the city which is simply brimming with such opportunities, is beyond me. But, then again, there are many who think I am crazy.] Nevertheless, the point is - the Stevenson Expressway has brightened my view of my commute to work. It has removed SO much of the stress involved in ensuring I arrive at work promptly [and some of you might know that there are times when I do not arrive so promptly, due to that unforseeable accident caused by one of the thousands of people out there on these roads that do not have a clue as to how to steer their ginormous vehicles they attempt to call cars].

But, mostly importantly. When I take 55 to get home in the evening, especially these days when it gets dark around 3:00 pm, I get the most wonderful view of that glorious city I can call my home. Every single time I 'round that bend - past the factory smoke stacks that could be an eyesore to some but to me are just part of the scenery that make up the complicated city of Chicago - I catch my breath at the sight of those lights. I wrote a post a few weeks ago about those city lights, and you might think I'm just a little obsessed with them, but that is just where I find so much beauty. I swear that view is more distracting to me than texting while driving. I have to force myself to watch the road rather than watch the approaching urban forest.

This picture isn't the exact view, but you can get somewhat of an idea. Thank you, Stevenson Expressway.