I indeed think the most overlooked benefit of commuting, is that it can really be an adventure.

I noticed this as of late when I've been riding a lot at night home from work, with all my lights, blinkers, reflectives, finding various detours that are faster/slower, dealing with the vagaries of various speeds of traffic, etc.

For sure, the fun of the whole problem-solving and even exploring aspect of commuting has become the reason I do it. I don't do it for fitness (I race, and my commute riding is too slow to be considered fitness for me), economy, or environment. I do it now because it's fun, and feels like an adventure - especially at night, when I can get all my commute gear going!

I actually don't think I'd enjoy a 30 minute straight stretch in a big bike lane anymore for commuting...