There is a lot that is right about buses. Â I am happy to report that Greyhound express buses are appointed with comfortable seats, no-fuss wi-fi, AC power in every seat and staff that are engaging and helpful (I’m looking at you Gordon and Duwan).
Today I met Alix Aylen. Â Cool name aside, Alix’s story is compelling. Â A Canadian, Alix is 25 years old and possessed of an adventurers spirit. Â She left her home in Toronto with her bike in pieces, took a train to Vancouver where she reassembled it, and set out (alone) to ride to San Francisco. Â En route, she met Bobby (check him out at tallbikebobby.blogspot.com) and, well, it was the start of a beautiful friendship. Â Alix plays trumpet, a skill that payed for her bus fare, and is a graduate of the University of Toronto. Her passion is public green space design and, as you will hear, she is thinking of ‘coming to America’ in the literal sense.
[rtmp3 url="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/108166614/Audio2012/Alix%20Aylen.mp3" title="Alix Aylen"]
Which brings us to, what I suspect will be a recurring segment on these posts,
Crazy sh#t that happens on the bus
Our comfortable ride morphed slowly as the air conditioning died a gradual death and left us sweltering for the last 120 miles. The initial reduction in ventilation resulted in the staff realizing that someone was smoking in the back of the bus. The wacky kind of smoking. A warning was issued. Twice.
We were close to LA when the second infraction occurred. This time in the bathroom. Infuriated, the staff announced that LAPD would be waiting at the station. And so, we arrived to LA’s finest.
Yes, life can get crazy on the bus.
Hey Julie, So fun to see you off this morning. I so look forward to your conversations with Americans as you criss-cross our nation. I hope you find that the majority of the folks you chat with are paying attention to what is happening in the upcoming election and can present a cogent understanding of the issues and can articulate their positions. Travel safely !!!!!
missing you already!! Bryan likes your word wall!! You should sell space on it. Bry wants access!! Hope you had a great night in LA! Stay away from the back of the bus!!
d
Hi, Julie!
How convenient, you can update en route without stopping! That certainly beats a motorcycle, although I suppose the disadvantage is that you would rarely overheat on that mode of transportation.
Before I put my glasses on, Alix looked about 12, but all doubt was dispelled once she spoke. I’m glad for the perspective, especially from Canada, where I think they do a lot of things right. Tall Bike Bobby sounds like a man I would really like to meet – in a pipe dream, I picture myself as Solar Bike Rod someday.
I wish your posts had not only a date, but a time on them. It would be interesting to see the time of day you are publishing.
Continuing to pray for you, of course. Not for safety — I’m sure others have that covered — but for adventure.
So glad you made it safely to LA. Send my love to Katie. Agree with D, stay away from the back f the bus!
I am SO glad that you were able to come visit me before departing on this (insane) journey! I am also psyched that I’m fairly certain that you were contact-high when I picked you up at the Greyhound station – I can cross that off of my “shocked and mildly proud daughter” list.
I love you. Saying goodbye to you this morning was really difficult. I hope you are having fun cutting all the greyhound lines and getting mad-dogged by the staff (just kidding).
I love love love you.