When I first started commuting about 10 years ago it was an adventure. Even with preriding a familiar area to find a good bike route, it was still an adventure when I set off for work by bicycle. I needed the exercise, wasn't saving much money by commuting with buying more stuff for the trip, but the adventure part made it easier to continue. It's still a bit of an adventure some days inspite of the routine, and that's one of the factors that keeps me coming back for more.