New York | The Curvy Spine

Tags

Boston, Bus, bus ride, getting comfortable on a bus, New York, New York City, NYC, Scoliosis and Traveling, Washington DC

This past week I was a nomad. I went from city-to-city on a bus, all in hopes of finding the perfect job. In four days I took four different buses and several flights. I flew from Orlando to D.C., and then to NYC, then I took a bus to D.C., a bus back to NYC, then another bus to Boston, and then one more back to NYC, and finally I flew back to Orlando. But of course this post is neither about my travel experience, nor is it about getting a job, it’s about getting comfortable on a bus.

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My first bus from NYC to D.C. was a Boltz Bus, and it was a very nice experience, for the most part. I barely slept, because I couldn’t find the right angle to lean my head, and I feared that my head would end up on the German woman’s shoulder that was sitting next to me. So instead I took slight power naps and arrived in a zombie-state to D.C., and of course after almost four hours of sitting on a charter bus, I was stiff as a board and in need of stretching. I got off that bus, wondering how I was going to make it through the remaining bus rides. But when there is a will there is always a way!

My bus experience from D.C. to NYC was another interesting experience. While unconscious, the man next to me decided that my shoulder was a rather comfortable option to use as a pillow. This was followed by sudden jolts and random spasms. It was a rather awkward experience for me. During that bus ride I definitely didn’t get any sleep. Some people should not be travelling on a bus.

The third time’s a charm? Think again, the bus ride from NYC to Boston was at 1:30am, and I arrived early to the bus stop so that I can get a good seat, a seat where I would be able to stretch out and possibly get some sleep. Unfortunately, I really didn’t think it through, because in order for me to be comfortable and fall asleep, I need to be lying on my back, and I can’t really sleep on either side of my body. Even after attempting to stretch out, there was the bump in between the two sits that dug into my spine, and there was just no way I could fall asleep. So, in the end I tried to get comfortable, and get some sleep, but it was all to no avail. I got to Boston, in pain and deadly tired.

From this experience I have learned that the best option for me is to fly whenever possible, that being said (flight donations are always appreciated: -P). However, I did leave feeling like a rock-star, I managed to complete four interviews in three different cities in four days!