On the Road

On the morning of the final leg of this chapter of my journey, I am nestled beside a snoozing stranger on a bus headed straight for the sunrise.  I am anxious, yet peaceful as the clouds paint a deep pink, purple and blue Tennessee horizon ahead of me.  At this moment, as we coast along flat land, my mind reels through images of sunrises, sunsets, mountains and prairies that have decorated this adventure thus far.  There are few left to see before I reach that familiar place I have always called home.

Just as suddenly as it seems this month long trip from Alaska has passed, the clouds have faded to a pale lavender against a soft orange light.  

The Alabama Shakes are playing in my ear, reminding me to "wait" and "hold on" because I have yet to endure a lonely three hour overlay in Memphis.  This is one of the final destinations that I have never seen before on this adventure, so part of me is intrigued while another is slightly nervous.  This bus ride is the first part of my country-wide undertaking that I have been alone; or just without a friend that I have known for any amount of time.  Although, I did make a friend, Fred, waiting for the bus in Little Rock.  He is seated a few rows in front of me, however, and won't be going the same way once we do arrive in Memphis.  I will wish him safe travels and probably never see him again, but we were both happy for the company and conversation at 5 o'clock this morning.  

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When the bus pulled into the station in Memphis, we all exited to await the next ride to our varying destinations.  I was surprised to find how chilly the morning had become and clouds were rolling in overhead.  Fred found me and laid his bags on the ground next to where I was perched on top of my own.  He had two hours to wait and I had three.  He told me he was headed down the road to find some breakfast and asked if I would be walking or if he could leave his things with me.  I wasn't going anywhere.  

Seated on the sidewalk, I must have looked like I knew the drill because several people stopped to ask if I knew if this was where the line for either Dallas or Chicago or Atlanta.  I had been informed to just wait on the corner, so that is what I communicated to each of them.  The longer I sat there, the more information I came to know and soon, I was telling people when their buses were supposed to arrive.  At this point, a woman approached me inquiring if I spoke Spanish.  She looked disappointed when I shook my head 'no' but tried again, anyway. "Chicago?" 

Fred was going there, so I knew the time of the departure.  "Nine-thirty," I replied.  

"Nine-thirty?" she questioned.

"Si," I said.

The woman grinned at my Spanish and nodded a thank you.

When Fred returned, he was carrying a breakfast sub and two cups of coffee.  He handed me the larger cup and offered me some of his sandwich.  This was the second cup of coffee a stranger had given me today without a second thought of payment.  My Little Rock host, whom I had only met the night before (a friend of a mutual friend), greeted me this morning with a steaming cup and even took a quick break from sleep at 4 AM to drive me to the bus stop.  

Fred and I chatted about his life and mine and the places we had been to and wish to go in the future until his bus arrived.  We exchanged numbers and gave each other a hug before he left.  Like I have written in the past, if you stop thinking of strangers as threatening, you find friends in them.  After that, it began to rain, so I left my post and met new people.  Turns out this layover wasn't nearly as lonely as I had expected.

My time was occupied by an iHop trainer who traveled around, as well as modeled.   When his bus arrived for New Orleans, I was greeted by another gentleman.  He began the conversation asking if I would like to see a card trick.  Of course I did.  

His "trick" consisted of asking me to guess the top card, flipping it over and, despite my accuracy, relating it to either God or the Devil.  When it was a queen, it meant that I was a queen.  The entire interaction was enjoyed by several people sitting around us.  

Finally, the bus displaying ATLANTA in bright yellow letters rolled down the road towards us.  I was thankful to be distracted from the card trick, as entertaining as it had been, and quickly boarded the bus to find my seat on the upper deck.  It's rather empty, so I have a seat to myself.  So, here I am.  Nearly home.  Passing forests full of leaves in colorful transition.  It's getting warmer as I get closer and I couldn't be happier about that. 

My heart sinks thinking of the miles and miles that separate me from all of my new friends.  It flutters in excitement, though, to reunite with old, tried and true friends and the incredibly supportive and loving family I left behind so long ago. 

I know that these are the last few sentences of this chapter of my life and it is certainly bittersweet.  Whatever the next page turn brings, I can be sure that this chapter has prepared me for all sorts of twists.