Planes, trains and automobiles

When I got back from Europe, I was hoping for a little bit of time to relax. But that hasn't happened. I got off of the plane, and left a few days later for Virginia. My parents were visiting my brother and his family in Christiansburg, so I got on the train...and then the bus. The Greyhound, to be exact.  I know Greyhound has a rep. Still, I hoped it wouldn't be too awful. I hoped in vain. It was disgusting. The bus ride from DC to Charlottesville made me a little sick. The window next to my seat was smeared with grease...thick, oily grease from someone who had clearly fallen asleep. I guess cleaning up is not a priority. I shiver to think about what the bathroom must have looked like. I wouldn't have even ventured near it. Not in the most dire of emergencies!

But it was worth it to see my parents, my brother, his wife and their little boy. They have a cute little house and we went on hikes and walks and picnics. It was so nice to be out in nature, as I get very little of that here. I also loved playing with adorable little Ethan. He's such a cute, sweet boy. We got to visit Blacksburg and see Virginia Tech where my brother, Chey, is attending medical school. I'm a little jealous. One of these days I'll post Seton Hall's law school "campus". The school is in a sky scraper, which is pretty cool. But I miss the feel of a traditional campus. 

The bus ride back to DC was eventful. The woman driving the bus almost took out a mail box on the side of the road, corrected, and almost swerved into oncoming traffic. I felt a little frightened for my life. Then, when we got to Springfield, just outside of DC, she made a stop. When she went to get back on the freeway, she went the wrong way. So she gets on the mike and announces her mistake. But this is an area known as the spaghetti bowl, so you don't just turn around easily. Twenty minutes later we were headed in the right direction. I could hear her mumbling about "all the signs...so confusing!" I held my breath, hoping she would successfully maneuver onto north bound 395 and not the beltway. Oh brother. Then, as we were arriving in the city, she turned into tour guide and began narrating about the Pentagon and the monuments, etc. I kept thinking, lady! Focus on the road! Soon we arrived near the capital, close to Union Station where the bus stops. Several of the streets in the vicinity are not open to traffic, so she starts driving down one of them. All the while a cop is standing there waiving right in front of the window to get her to stop. She finally sees him after she almost hit the poor man. So she has to back up, honking the entire time, onto a street in DC. SCARY! A very  nice girl on the bus stood up, went to the front, and directed her into the station. She seriously had no clue. But my favorite is when I stood up and she asked me, "Sir, do you need your luggage? Oh, I mean, ma'am." Do I look like a boy? I'm pretty sure I don't!!!  I seriously wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. What an experience. Next time I book a ticket to Charlottesville, I'm making sure I do it in enough advance time that I have a spot on the train!!!

Anyway, now I'm back in Newark, madly working on finishing finals (two down, one to go) and looking forward to a trip to Utah in August. I'll start working as a research assistant soon, and I can't wait for that. Oh, and I was recently called as the Relief Society President at church. Man, I'm tired!!!