District of Columbia → New York · Interstate 95 / Interstate 66
Driving back into Buffalo, New York, after wrapping the agenda in Washington, District of Columbia, tends to invite quiet reflection on operational efficiency: 553 km (344 miles) along Interstate 95 / Interstate 66 and another 5h 16m behind the wheel, not counting reception time, lobby waiting, and the actual meeting. Anyone returning from the place known as the capital of the United States and seat of the federal government reconnects with Buffalo — the western New York gateway to the Niagara Frontier and Lake Erie — carrying the dual sensation of a job done and accumulated fatigue. To minimize tiredness, alternate music, a technical podcast and absolute silence each hour. Additional fuel spend on the return runs $46.28 (50.3 liters / 13.3 gallons). Equivalent reimbursement totals $237.79 at the $0.43/km tariff. On the Clara receipt, log notes about active road work seen along the way — the operations group uses that data to refresh the route's standard time each quarter.