I did a 1 hour commute for 20 years. I didn’t think the first job would last long but I stayed 11 years. By then we had attachments in the community we lived in, and my wife worked 5 min from home. I ended up getting another job, also an hour away because that’s where my professional network was.

I was able to do some of my job from the car, like calling contractors etc. I also had customers in my area and on the way, so it was often not a fully wasted trip. It also allowed me to hit certain stores on the way, so if my wife’s aunt likes a restaurant that’s 40 min away for us, I could pop in easily for a gift card. Later, I could occasionally catch my son’s high school sports because they were closer to work than home.

My job was very flexible and I could make up hours at home if I needed to leave early. I now mostly work from home.

So it wasn’t all bad, but some of it was. I figure it cost me an extra car over those years, and it ate a lot of time. I think it impacted our social life a bit because my work friends were out of reach for dinners with spouses, etc. it definitely impacted my health with extra sitting and too much fast food.

2 hours a day *200 work days is 16.7 days on your ass in the car every year. So in my case I’ve blown almost a year of my life driving to work. I get a little bitter when I think about that.