I wanted to post something about what it's like for me when I get to go home after a day's work.
I own some really great desert property that is about 40 miles away from my work. So counting carpooling with my wife I drive about 90 to 100 miles a day. It's not too bad. I have good tires and the mainly freeway stretch keeps my engine pretty clean.
Well, I gotta tell you that my place is heavenly. It's not a parched barren desert, but one of the most lush forests of Sonoran desert that you could imagine. We have at least 100 sajuaros on the property, many are over 30 feet tall. Our nearest neighbor is a quarter mile away and it is so silent you can hear your ears ringing with the day's noise from the city.
When I get home I first let the dogs out of their pen and they run around in the sand like the little nuts that they are. My favorite thing after work is to start a fire in our chiminea (a little Mexican outdoor fireplace) in the evening and sit in the yard with my wife, play guitar and watch the stars come out. The sunsets are unbelievable! The nearby mountains reflecting the oranges and pinks and blues of the coming evening is a perfect backdrop to the milkey way and the meteorites we see every night (No city lights here.)
It is just so nice and relaxing that it makes the drive seem like nothing at all. I just thought I would share that with you all.