I’ve found that it can be just as fun and interesting to travel within the U.S. as it is to travel abroad. Each state has something unique to offer and while I hope to be able to fit in more of that type of travel over time, I haven’t been too thrilled with the process of getting to where I’m trying to go lately. Mother Nature has a way of reminding us that we are not as in control as we like to think and a few of my 2010 trips are evidence of that. I’ve had to adjust to delays stemming from high winds, heavy rain, blizzards, and even a volcanic eruption. But I haven’t let any of this mar my vacations and while I plan to thoroughly check the weather forecasts before venturing out in the future, I know that the mishaps add to the overall experience especially the ones we are least prepared for.Upon waking during my last day in Virginia, I knew that getting home would be a problem. There wouldn’t be any broken down buses this go-round but the snow that had started the night before now blanketed everything in sight and instead of abating, seemed to be gaining traction. As cozy as my stay had been, I needed to get home so despite the disappointment I felt during the first leg of my trip, I was actually happy that I had decided to take the Chinatown bus instead of flying. They were unlikely to cancel, even during whiteout weather. And when our bus loaded up and took off at a steady pace and only slightly behind schedule, I held out hope that we would arrive at our destination with a two hours delay, at most. Wishful thinking. At 12 hours, my return trip would be just as excruciatingly long as my arrival. Still, as long as the ride was, I was happy to be in a bus and not in any of the numerous abandoned cars we passed on the highway.
My fellow passengers were much more quiet that previous ones, making it easy for me to sleep off and on throughout the first few hours. It was only when we finally made it to the tunnel and had to wait over half an hour for the snow plows to clear the way before they seemed to really come alive. By that point, most of us had been sitting on the edge of our seats for several hours and had been constantly relaying news of our progress to concerned friends and family. But when one passenger decided to exit the bus to ask the policemen why they were blocking our way, several others took it as an opportunity to joke and make fun of her. Looking back, I can understand the change in our collective mood. Although I wouldn’t allow myself to think about anything but making it home, I’m sure that some of us thought that we would have to wait out the storm at some point along the way. Thankfully, we made it to our destination and I got home less than an hour later.
The recent blizzard reminds me of the first blizzard I ever faced, over 10 years ago, not so much because it was almost as fierce but because I couldn’t make it home before it reached its highest point. I remember going to a party thrown by one of my mother's friend earlier that afternoon. By the time my mother was finally ready to leave, the blizzard was picking up speed and instead of taking the risk associated with taking a cab, my mother decided to accept our host’s offer and spend the night. My mother doesn't feel completely comfortable unless she's in her own home. I'm like her that way so when she told her us to get ourselves together the next morning, I was more than ready to go. Unfortunately, the blizzard was still going strong and although we were able to find a taxi to take us part of the way by taxi there was just no escape from the biting cold, burning throat and stinging ears. We had to have trekked home in the snow for at least an hour and while this blizzard was less dramatic and although I was only exposed to the extreme weather for up to 15 minutes, recalling that time that had me anxiously sitting on the edge of my seat all the way home.
