The Return to Iowa City

(August 10, 2011)

On the way back to Iowa City, mid-morning, I sat in the very back of the bus on the top, center-aisle. My face reflected back at me, layered in the glass pane over cornfields and the megabus logo.

Time bends on long trips. Towards the middle it feels, in a good way, like it won’t ever end. At the end it seemed it passed too quickly, even though I felt like I lived a lifetime.

On this trip, I explored four cities I’ve never been to in my life and revisited three; four if you count Iowa City. I met and revisited countless people.

I pushed my personal boundaries—stepped into the unfamiliar, and in one of the few instances in my otherwise relatively uptight life, let go.

FINAL STATS

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Number of miles traveled by bus: 

 2888.

(Based on google-mapping each megabus station and counting the Great Megabus Detour.)

Total hours spent on the bus:

 60

Total number of days I traveled:

30

Number of different households I slept:

14

(Nine of them friends I knew in advance, four hosted me through couchsurfing.org and one was with friends of a friend. )

Number of unique visits to my blog as I write this (nationally and internationally):
                                                                              2,332
                                                                    (thanks everybody!)

Total expense:

Factoring groceries and rent against every dime spent on this trip out of my pocket- I came out...     

$100 ahead!

It was not my initial intent, but taking this trip actually saved me money.  I’m sooo using the $100 I saved towards starting a Roth IRA!  (many many hours on a bus bought me time to investigate how to have a financial life).

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On August 10, 2011, the day the midwest heat broke, at 2 pm I arrived back in Iowa City.

 (Iowa City doesn't have a skyline. )

Through the City of Literature, on my way by foot to my apartment (eight minutes from the center of town), I dragged my bags past my favorite familiar sights:

The Ped-Mall:

(where children play in the fountain)

I passed a freestanding outdoor piano (open for all to play) and one of the many book statues scattered around the ped-mall.

This one's page was open to a map of Iowa City's landmarks; etched in the corner: "Beyond this place, there be dragons."

Oh, Iowa City.

I passed the Old Capitol Building:

And I returned to my bike. Plants now poking from it’s lonely spokes.

I entered through my front door, into my apartment:

Where I immediately passed out on my own futon.

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That evening…

                      I unicycled into the sunset.

How can megabussing solo halfway across the country and back for $69.50 not leave you feeling profoundly empowered?

END OF EPIC MEGABUS JOURNEY