An approach

Sunday night, after spending an enjoyable afternoon and evening with family, I reluctantly said goodnight to them and prepared myself for a long drive home ... from home.

There are two routes: the efficient one and the relaxing one. The efficient one is inland and connects point A to point B. The relaxing one follows the coast, and takes about twice as long. It has numerous stop lights -- but at that time of the night almost all of them are set in your favor. Sometimes you can go for miles without stopping or seeing another car (though the same streets are packed with them in the morning), and in some of the lesser populated areas, such as near the nature preserves, you find yourself in near-darkness, with only the sound of waves to reassure you that the ocean is nearby.

The relaxing route crosses several bridges -- one of which is a single-span suspension, similar (but on a much more modest scale) to the Golden Gate Bridge. At night, this particular bridge is lit with blue LED lights which reflect on the water and make a pretty view for the cruise ships below. That alone is worth the drive, but last night, a beautiful orange-colored moon was also present, close to the horizon and reflecting on the water. It was so beautiful that I slowed down to make the moment last longer.

As I drove down the opposite approach and away from the bridge, still able to catch glimpses in my rear-view mirror,  I realized just how wonderful these structures are. Not only for the way they transport us from one place to another, but also for the way they transport us from one emotion to another.