My family has always had at least two cars. Anywhere we needed to go--we drove. Any friends we had that were out of luck, we assisted. I grew up in a family that liked to drive & I drove everywhere. I love to drive. I search out weekend getaways & dream about adventures. This will eventually require me to learn to pee in the forest, but not just yet.
Now that I am married, we simply have the one car for our commutes. It was working out well until I my husband decided he wanted to stop working & go to Grad school. Nowadays, a decent job is hard to find--my husband was working at a steel mill for 10+hrs a day, 4days a week. We decided to was the right direction for us.
Since my husband is going to Grad school at night, we decided he should have our car. So I began to carpool into work.with my sister-in-law who also works at the same company. We discovered we could share work problems that family outside our company would only politely listen too. I would snap photos & search out sing-a-longs. However now gas has become too expensive to be able to afford the distance to drive. Parking rates were rumoured to increase. Seattle is expensive. So we started taking the train. Our company has a great program to encourage us to take public transportation.
The train was...new. It was two hours earlier than I needed to be awake since I could not adjust my work hours. It was public. My life was no longer a secret. I couldn't burst into song, I couldn't cry after a tough day. People were now closer than I've ever involuntarily allowed. We only lasted a week together. Over the weekend my carpool companion said she did not want to take the 15mins to drive in the opposite direction to get me home everyday. So now I take a different route than her & I take the bus. I actually take three buses.
I have yet been able to figure out which bus fits me best. I haven't been home in less than three hours time from when I leave work. I am trying to remain positive. My first commute alone-ever-was in the rain. My black flats were soaked, a bus driver denied me like the inns at Bethlehem, I became stranded at a lot as night grew closer until I waited an hour for another bus only to get off one stop earlier than where my house is. I cried when I got home. It might be...childish, but I am weak when I have to depend on strangers. I am stubborn when it comes to asking for help & then I feel lonely. I am depending on a system that is out of my control. The first thing my husband does when he gets home is find me to hug me. The second is to apologize. He isn't fond of the system. & he's very protective of me. But what are you to do? This is life. We decided to live out this choice & this is one of the obsticles that come with it. I love him enough to take the bus to work & to come home again if all he asks is that I try to find a bit of happiness in this mode of transportation.
A bit of Bus riding happiness:
#1--Woman lulled to sleep on commute, but held up by pole. It happens so often.
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