I live in a small town, so everything is within 2 miles for me. I'm also going to start working from home, so I won't have to leave the house most days. My husband commutes 40 miles each way, though. We have a small corolla that gets 35 mph, but even so the gas adds up. And of course, it's going higher. And his friends and coworkers from work rarely (if ever) come over this way, unless they make a weekend out of it and stay at our cottage. We can't have beers with them, because of the drive.
Bob likes the commute, though. He listens to NPR and drinks his morning beverage while he drives. Still, I like the way Bobby M mentioned it- and it got me thinking: two hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year is 13 full work days each year spent just commuting. Life is too short for that to me. I would never put myself in that situation. But, I don't live in an area where that is usually required.