Finding Gratitude in a Gridlock

I knew Saturday night had the potential for being a horrible ride home from Seattle. On my northbound journey towards the city at 3:30 pm that afternoon, I saw that all southbound lanes of I-5 were shut down. Traffic was backed up for miles being diverted onto surface streets. The Washington State Department of Transportation scheduled major roadwork on the southbound lanes all weekend long. Which meant one thing: my return trip was going to be complicated.

Heading home, I took routes skirting the eastern boundary of Lake Washington. Sensible, right? Except that every single numbered route I tried was also under construction! At 9:20 pm, Google Maps optimistically predicted a travel time of one hour. I thought, fine—one hour, maybe even seventy minutes, I can handle. But as I crept along, I noticed something odd: my time to arrival didn’t change. For forty long minutes, it stubbornly stayed at forty-five minutes. However, the time at arrival kept being pushed later and later.

Every major road south from Seattle on Saturday night was under construction. It was miserable. Truly, I cannot imagine who thought this was a good idea.

But rather than turn this post into a litany of complaints, I want to name the things I’m thankful for.

Gratitude #1

The event I attended was on Mercer Island and the guests—who were more local—didn’t have to endure this traffic nightmare. Only me.

Gratitude #2

It was a lovely event and I’m glad I participated. There is nothing better than gathering with people who share your passions and your goals, hearing their stories, enjoying their company, and working together to build something beautiful for our community.

Gratitude #3

I got to play with a beautiful puppy. Enough said.

Gratitude #4

The work we are building together at the Seattle Universal Math Museum is important. We are creating something that will have a lasting impact on our community: sparking joy, shifting mindsets, and bringing people together through math. Even in the frustration of late-night detours, I am overjoyed to be a part of this movement—and equally joyful knowing so many others believe in it too.

Sometimes the roads are blocked, the detours endless, and the journey hard. But the destination—community, connection, and a shared love of math—makes every mile worth it.