I can now add BUS to my list of transportation experience

I have recently returned from visiting my peep{aka Christopher}up north to my peeps at home. I'm pleased to report that while the return trip did take two hours longer than planned, it did not take 24 1/2 hours like the time when I returned home in December. Did I ever tell you about that return trip? It was somewhere between complete chaos and a total nightmare.

At any rate.

Due to flooded tracks I did not take the train as planned but was put on a large red bus.The large red bus provided us with approximately a 2x2 space per person, along with a window seat if you were lucky. Unfortunately, most of my fellow passengers were slightly larger than the 2x2 space so you can imagine the comfort in which we all rode for five hours.

Upon arrival at the next large city, we were all dropped off at the train/bus station to await the next leg of our respective journeys. 

My layover was about two hours so I filled up the time by making phone calls, reading my book, and paying $4.50 for a small coffee. That purchase definitely falls under the 'taking advantage of poor travelers because there's no Dunkin' Donuts in sight' category. 

Finally I was able to board my train and I saw this lovely view out my window. 

It's worth noting that each train passenger had much more than a 2x2 space in which to spread out. It's also worth noting that I sat next to a bread and hummus eating college philosophy teacher who was a former hippie. She's pregnant, is due in June, and doesn't know the gender. The names they picked out are Gloria and Peter. File that bit of information under the 'Sarah's kind of nosy' category.

 During a trip to the train restroom, I was both humored and slightly confused by the sign below.

I just don't understand why they made the cleaning person look like a devil. 

I have noticed a trend in my photo taking during my trips to see Christopher that is slightly saddening: I end up taking next to no pictures. It is such a tragedy, especially when you considered that I take pictures of anything and everything under the sun under normal circumstances. It really is a pity I don't have a picture of when I helped moved our new couch out of the moving van and into the apartment because Christopher had been so sure he'd have to call Price to come help LITTLE KNOWING that I, quite possibly the world's weakest person, am perfectly capable of moving large pieces of furniture. 

On Sunday night we went down to the harbor and saw this beautiful sunset. {Laura, are you paying attention? While I was taking this I thought of you because you take sunset/scenery pictures too!} 

The final picture in this epistle was taken on the way home. Mr. Conductor came over the loud speaker informing us that due to unforeseen flooded tracks, it was necessary for us to reroute. But there was silver lining in the clouds for us, the most fortunate passengers, because we would now be able to witness a SELDOM SEEN AND SPECTACULAR VIEW of the Hudson River. And that is how I came to have my camera ready for the next two hours as we went in reverse over the same tracks we had just traveled on going forward. At one point we stopped on a bridge high over some bare trees and a little river which I assumed was nothing to write home about because I was all about the SELDOM SEEN AND SPECTACULAR VIEW of the river. 

Turns out this was the seldom seen and spectacular view.

Don't get me wrong, I do think it was a lovely view. I was just picturing more of a grand blue river beneath us as we chugged along over the bridge and eagles soared above us.

My family is so happy to have me back and listen to me talk non-stop as I fill them in on all the details of my trip. Aaron let me know just how happy when he interrupted my story about how our tv screen is the same as our computer screen {it was RIVETING} to ask, "has anyone seen my dog tags?" When Mom made a comment about how Sarah was telling her story and should be able to do so without interruption, he replied along the lines of "I know she is, that's why I said something. We'll be here ALL NIGHT if she keeps talking."

I love them, too.

 And I'm so happy to see them again!