a new experience

Work has made me travel a lot lately and I haven't seemed to have much luck getting home.  Of the four times I've flown from Dallas to Maine, I've actually made it once.  Here's the run-down:

• Take 1 - knew I would miss the connection before leaving Dallas.  No other way to make it to Maine so I flew to Boston and drove up.  Got in around 3 am.
• Take 2 - actually made it!
• Take 3 - only had a 30 minute layover and had to change terminals.  Initial flight was about 10 minutes late.  Watched the plane to Maine push back.  Boy I threw a fit to the door attendant guy.  I still had to stay the night in Detroit and flew back the next morning.
• Take 4 - there was weather somewhere (not sure where) and my flight out of Dallas was cancelled.  No other alternatives to get home so flew to Boston, stayed the night with a friend and took the bus home the next morning.

Of course I'd always prefer the outcome of "take 2" but I must say "take 4" wasn't as bad as it may sound.  This was my first experience on Greyhound (unless my Mom comments and says it's something we did when I was way to little to remember).  It was very interesting - quite a different clientele from the airlines.  Some of these people have been on this bus for DAYS!

I felt like an outsider in their reality.  They had formed a camaraderie, telling each other so much about their lives.  Of course I was right there to eavesdrop on their stories.

For example, the guy that drank too much in high school one night that he had to go to the hospital.  The doctors told him that if he had been just 5 minutes later he wouldn't have made it.  He hasn't had a drop of alcohol since.  I got the impression he was heading up for a job in the logging industry.

Another example is a woman discussing how her boyfriend had beat her so bad.  I was glad to hear she wasn't with him any more; but she does LOVE Pink Floyd.

(this was one of the Maine bus stops - hardly a hoppin' place)

My favorite story of all was a lady trying to get to Maine to see her husband.  She hadn't seen him in 8 months.  When they got married they were homeless.  They both ended up moving in with their respective parents in different states.  I wasn't exactly sure of the timeline but the husband got someone else "knocked up" and moved in with the mother and baby for a while (came across as during this separation time).  They have both "gotten their lives together now" and have jobs and were finally going to move back in together.

If you've never been on the Greyhound, you have to experience it just once in your life!  Oh, just make sure yours doesn't do this (photo by Sean, who was waiting to pick me up, with flowers - so sweet)...