Commute from Hell

Think your 45 minute haul on the 5 is a killer commute? Try commuting to California from a different state. The LA Times profiles Californians who left the state in search of a house they could afford, yet didn't want to give up their high-paying California gig:

Blame a decade of soaring home prices in the Silicon Valley and other parts of California for the proliferation of what could be dubbed sleepover commuters. Working in a wide range of professions and trades, all that many of the new extreme commuters have in common are flexible schedules and a cheap place to stay when they're away from home, typically with friends or in one of the "commuter rooms" being advertised in the Bay Area.

Long commutes are nothing new to Californians. Historically high home prices in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles have fueled the growth of such far-flung areas as Hollister and Hemet and made herculean freeway commutes of two hours or more each way almost routine. According to federal statistics, San Francisco and Los Angeles are among the 10 U.S. cities with the most long-distance commuters.

But now some people are opting to keep their jobs in the Golden State while buying a house hundreds of miles — or even two or three time zones — away.

Puts my 35-minute drive from Glendale in perspective...