Riding the Bus

As of two days ago, my primary means of transportation became my bike. As I simplify my life and prepare for my journey, I sold both of my cars and the majority of my large possessions.  My clothing, books, ski and climbing gear are safely tucked away in a friends basement and I now find myself with only a backpack, two changes of clothing, this laptop and a sturdy pair of shoes.In a previous post, I discussed being a tourist in your hometown. The first step to this is taking public transportation. On my first local bus ride since living in Boulder, I did find myself as a tourist. I had to ask for information about the fare, how to transfer, where the bus picked up, etc. I had the little panic attack as the departure time approached and I suddenly realized my bus was parked on the other side of the station! I jumped on as it was pulling away from the curb- I’m sure I’ll have plenty of these moments abroad!  Needless to say as I took a seat in the middle of the bus I found myself much more aware of my surroundings than I would have been in my car. I was invited to watch the other people on the bus, the street and the general activity of the town. Its almost as if I removed myself from the action as an active participant and became a third party observer. The bus sometimes takes small alternative roads to reach stations and I found myself surprised at some of the nooks and crannies that existed right in my back yard. In my Google Maps efficiency mode, I would have never dreamed of not going directly from point A to point B.  Yes, it did take me 90 minutes to reach a destination that would have taken 50 in my car. Did I lose 40 minutes? Maybe I actually gained 50.  What do you think? Comments welcome!