Twice when I was growing up, my dad changed jobs to a new one that was an hour and a half away. He sustained that commute exactly as long as it took us to find

Twice when I was growing up, my dad changed jobs to a new one that was an hour and a half away. He sustained that commute exactly as long as it took us to find a new house closer to work. He hated it. It took a huge toll on him, and I didn't get to see him nearly as much. I promised myself I would never have a job that has a commute like that. Today, mine is about 30 minutes, with very little traffic and some nice scenery (to downtown San Diego). I don't feel like I'm losing a significant part of my life, which is the important part to me. Later on, he took a pretty big pay cut to get out of his industry altogether (automotive service) to take a job in-town, with a 5-minute commute, doing something he loved (food). Quality of life is important. He still made enough to support our family, and he was around more and much happier. Being able to bike to your dad's work and have lunch with him on the weekend is more important than a bigger house and some spare spending money.