When you can afford it, consider Conti Sport Contact 26x1.6” tires. They are slicks and quite fast as well as being quite impervious to flats. Riding on pavement is good, but typically where bikes can ride, road trash accumulates and can cause flats.

One thing to keep in mind is, you don’t have to go the entire distance by bike. When I was commuting the first 6 or 8 mi. were terrible traffic areas in the afternoon. I packed up my bike and drove a little less than half way, then had a very nice 10 mi. ride into work and I didn’t have to put up with narrow roads choked with afternoon traffic on the way home.

Leave yourself enough time when you arrive to cool down. It is very hot at the moment where I am and after a hard ride it takes a while to cool down before a shower. You may or may not have access to a shower. You may, like many of us, have to learn the art of the shower from a wash bowl.