For all those traveling, you may find one thing in common; bus rides. Oh, yes. The joys of Ol’ Louie are preluded by a – in my case, 14 hour– bus ride. How fun, being cramped in a vehicle with a score of teenagers until the world ends. Then someone has to go to the bathroom, and you wish the world would end. Then a movie is pulled out, and World War XXXIII starts. When the movie is finally chosen, you miss the kid you used to babysit who watched Barbie and colored on your face. You try to fall asleep, but you got to the bus late and are stuck next to the stinky-kid who takes up half your seat. Your book loses all appeal. Your friends have fallen asleep. The mentors have fallen asleep. The stinky-kid is drooling near your shoulder. You flinch at the smell, because you know it really is contagious. The movie keeps playing. You begin to wonder if it’s worth it, and consider running away at the next rest stop. Then, like a wasp’s sting, a thought hits you and gets stuck in your head, aching, unable to be pulled out without being acknowledged. You could have avoided this. Carpool. It saves the earth, and saves you from stinky-kid solitude. Friends who drive together, sit together. Or you could just show up on time. You’re traveling to the national championship of FIRST robotics, you really should be excited enough to wake up. The early bird catches the choice seat.
Guard the bathroom. Do not use it, do not allow your friends to use it. Spread awareness. Do not let anyone use the bathroom. Set up monitoring shifts during the night to guard the bathroom from all would-be users. Install cameras so all perpetrators may be caught and brought to justice. Do not use the bus bathroom. Your mentors are not stupid, they planned time for rest stops. Don’t be stupid. Use the rest stops. Try to plan out what movies will be watched ahead of time. Don’t force the men to watch Chick Flics, and they won’t play their Macho Movies. Hopefully.
And do try to convert the stinky-kid to Hygenism. It’s a life-long program, but results show in the first day. Last of all, make sure your carry-ons are as small as possible. The less room taken by bags, the more room your team has to exist. And I’ll bet your team likes to exist. But even if you plan your trip accordingly, there are still a million ways for your bus ride to flop. Let’s face it, too much girl time with too many people is asking for drama; real or fake. But there’s nothing I can do about that, my fabulous female FIRSTers. The rest is up to you.
I’m Scoutette, Buzzing off.
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