1. Session 1: The Noise Detox
2. Session 2: The What-If Game
3. Session 3: The Patterns You Notice
4. Session 4: The Unexpected Solutions
5. Therapy Notes from the Road
6. Final Reflection

I wake up early, around 6 a.m. Get myself ready, make sure I look sharp for work. I check the essentials—wallet, office ID, phone, hot coffee and breakfast (prepared faithfully by my wife), feed the cats enough for half the day, turn off the lights and fans, then lock the door.

That’s when my journey begins. Every single day, I drive 85 kilometers one way to work.

Most people curse their commute. I did too, for the first few months of long-distance driving. But strangely enough—it became my cheapest therapist.

Sounds crazy? Let me tell you the story.

Session 1: The Noise Detox

The first 15 minutes of every drive is just noise. Traffic honking, radio ads screaming about sales I don’t need, motorbikes weaving in from both sides.

But after that, silence sneaks in. The noise outside fades, and I start hearing the real noise—the one in my head. That’s when therapy begins.

My car turns into a moving meditation room. No one calling my name, no distractions, just me and my thoughts. And honestly, that’s scarier than traffic sometimes.

Session 2: The What-If Game

When you’ve got an hour and a half on the road, your brain loves to play games. My favorite (and sometimes dangerous) one is the What-If Game.

• What if I had taken a different job?
• What if I had stayed silent instead of speaking up in that meeting?
• What if I just drove straight and never turned back?

Dark? Maybe. But these “what ifs” reveal the regrets and hidden wishes I rarely admit when life is busy. The road doesn’t lie—it drags out everything you’ve been avoiding.

Session 3: The Patterns You Notice

After weeks of driving, I started realizing something. I wasn’t just complaining about traffic—I was replaying the same thoughts every single day.

Same worries. Same grudges. Same excuses.

It hit me: if a thought repeats daily, maybe that’s the thing you really need to face. The car wasn’t just taking me forward. It was holding up a mirror.

Session 4: The Unexpected Solutions

Ironically, some of my best ideas showed up behind a slow truck or while waiting at the toll.

Work problems that felt impossible suddenly had a way forward. Difficult conversations I was dreading suddenly had the right words. Even this blog? Born somewhere between kilometer 42 and 43.

Maybe the brain just needs boredom to spark clarity. Or maybe my “commute therapist” knows when to slip in the answers.

Therapy Notes from the Road

After months of these “sessions,” here’s what my imaginary therapist left on the notepad:

1. Silence is underrated. The best ideas come when Spotify isn’t blasting.
2. Repetition reveals truth. If the same thought haunts you every day, it’s a signal.
3. Movement brings clarity. Even in a car seat, forward motion helps the mind untangle.
4. Transitions matter. The commute is a boundary ritual: leave work stress at the office, leave home stress at the door.

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Final Reflection

170 kilometers a day didn’t just take me to work.
It took me back to myself.

Maybe you don’t need 170 km of driving. Maybe your “therapist” is a walk around the block, a bus ride, or even a few minutes sitting alone without your phone.

The world thinks of commuting as wasted time. I see it as the place I finally learned to listen—to myself.

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✨ Takeaway Quote:
“The road doesn’t just take you places. It shows you what you’ve been carrying all along.”