Going and going and going...

	On my way...

	The driver beeped the horn a few times and slowly backed out. I started thinking, what was Tracy really like? She was great online and the phone. But what is she REALLY like? Maybe she would be some really clueless person. Maybe someone who was 1 card short of a full deck. How you are online can shroud how you are in real life. I thought and thought, maybe thought too much. But I was way past the point of no return. I was going no matter what. Then a little fear struck in. Maybe she wouldn't like me. Maybe I wasn't the one with the full deck. What kind of person goes to visit someone that they never met in real life? What kind of person will spend the 100 dollars for the bus ticket? What kind of person would spend 22 hours on a bus to meet someone that could be a guy with a girly voice? It takes a lot of trust on both parts. I could be a mass murderer. I could be one of them people you hear on the news all the time. Going off an murdering their Internet friend. I am a big guy. If I had evil intentions I dunno what would have stopped me. But that wasn't me. The way I described myself is a big, misunderstood, shy, teddy bear. Totally opposite of my outgoing Internet personality. I didn't hide this from Tracy. I told her I was a lot more reserved when I met someone new. I also told her that I never was around a girl for a long period of time and have a tendency to say dumb things out of nervousness. I told her everything I could think of that could be bad about me. Everything. How picky I was about food I ate. How sometimes I don't talk too much. I told her "What if I scratch my butt all the time?" It was a valid question.

	I stretched in my seat. Damn, only been 45 minutes. Only 21 hours left to go. I relaxed and sat back and watched on countryside. I few hours rolled by rather quickly. We arrived in Harrisburg PA. It was the farthest West I had been in my whole life. I was looking forward to see the rest of Pennsylvania. It had gotten dark already. Fog started rolling in. So much for seeing Western PA. I didn't see much. I just stared at the oncoming headlights of various vehicles. I did find out that a lot of people on the bus I was on were heading much further west then me. The blond guy next to me was going to San Diego. I am glad I didn't have to go that far.

	I reached Pittsburgh finally. I couldn't see any tall buildings. It wasn't that impressive. This was the first time I had to get off the bus and switch to another. I looked at my watch. Wow, we had gotten here an hour early. Looks like I am gonna be in Detroit in no time. I grabbed a pretzel and walked over to the pay phones. I called Tracy to let he know that I wasn't going to call at 5am when I got to Detroit. Everything seemed to be on schedule, Greyhound has its act together. I didn't get her but her answering machine. I left a nervous message. I thought to myself "Way to go Greg, you sounded really great there." I didn't sound like myself. I was getting nervous. I hopped on the right bus. And found a seat to myself this time. Maybe I would catch some Zzzzz's. I tried and tried to sleep but nothing happened. It was rather late. About 1am and I was tired. I was sooooooo nervous and anxious though. I didn't sleep a wink. The bus driver let us know that we would be stopping in Cleveland. I didn't expect that. On my ticket it said Detroit. I figured that it would just be a quick stop and out, like Harrisburg. We weren't there for more then 10 minutes at Harrisburg.

	After a few more hours of trying to get some sleep I finally arrived at Cleveland. The bus driver told us it was a stopover and that the people to Detroit had to change buses. I waited outside to claim my big suitcase. Some people had problems finding theirs. They were looking all around. I don't know if they ever found them. I walked inside and the bus station was by far the worst I seen. It was dirty and messy somewhat I expected from Philadelphia or Detroit. There was a bunch of lines off to one side. I went to us the restroom. It was dirty and a few latrines were broken. And I don't mean not working. I mean smashed. I waited and waited. It got to be 4am. I was getting worried. Could I make it to Detroit in an hour and 45 minutes? I doubted it highly. Until now every place had been at least 3 to 4 hours away. I sighed and got in this HUGE line to Detroit. Seems like this was a hub for Greyhound cause there was another busload of people waiting already to get on the bus to Detroit. I was a bit worried because I had left my bag on the bus at the driver's instructions that we could because we would be re-boarding that bus. I didn't know if all these people in front of me would get that bus. I would get detached from my bag. I handed over my ticket and re-boarding pass and that is when I noticed they had 2 buses. Mine was less crowded so I guess I lucked out. I looked at my watch. 4:15… No way we are getting to Detroit in time for me to catch my bus to Kalamazoo. 6:45 am was coming soon. I constantly was looking at my watch. Time seemed so slow. I was getting so close.

	We reached Toledo at about 5:45am and I thought "Holly Toledo, I am in Toledo". Detroit was at least 2 hours away. No way I am getting to Detroit by 7am. It was rush hour. We left Toledo and I seen the 6am go by. I seen 6:30 go by. I was so exited to see the Ohio license plates turn to Michigan plates. I was so close!!! We were still at least an hour from Detroit when we hit a lot of traffic. I saw 7am go by. "Great, I missed my bus" I thought. At about 7:30 we finally got out of the traffic. We were still a good distance from my destination. We stopped off somewhere and I looked at a map and I seen how far. No way we were getting there on time or even for them to wait a bit. By this point I was so anxious to get there. I had been on a bus for almost 15 hours.

	I didn't get to Detroit till 8:30 or so. For the past half hour all I could think of is calling Tracy to tell her I was gonna be late. I had told her everything was going great a little too soon. I am a dummy I should have waited. I called her and got her answering machine. "Oh great", I thought. What an impression. Make her wait at the bus station for 3 hours. I had found out that the next bus was at 11:45. I called her and told her that I was gonna be late. I hoped she would get the message. I grabbed my bag and walked over to the gate. I waited and waited. This was so antagonizing. I am 3 hours away. I was nervous before, but now it hit me again. 11am finally rolled around and I got on the bus. I couldn't wait to get there. I was a little disappointed when the driver started telling us what the stops would be. He rifled off like 5 names. Ann Arbor, Jackson, Battle City are the ones I remember. I remember thinking how much I wanted to get there now! I was sick of waiting! It seemed like forever. It was cool to see the University of Michigan campus, but I didn't come here for that. I remember when we pulled into Battle Creek. I was now so close. Within the hour I would be in Kalamazoo! Finally! I am nearing the end of my journey. I remember thinking to myself when the bus driver said, "Next stop Kalamazoo". I hoped that this would change my life. I neverously waited. I began shaking when I seen a sign saying, Kalamazoo city limits.

	I put my head up against the window. Trying to see the place we would stop as soon as possible. I wanted to see her. I looked and looked forward. Looking at the various gas stations and convenice stores. Where was this terminal? And then I saw it. I saw another bus already parked. I was here. 0 hour had arrived. The bus made a right into the station. A right I would never forget. I stood to look at the station to the left. I scanned the loading dock and saw no one. I hope she got the message. And then I saw it. The crappiest piece of heaven I ever seen. An Omni. A small car. Damage on the side. Tracy hit a deer that put damage on the side of her little blue Omni. I saw a figure inside. It was her. My nerves completely lost it even though I spent the past hour convincing myself that I wasn't gonna be nervous. That never works. I hoped she would get out and meet me as I got off. That is how I envisioned it. But no one was standing there. I grabbed my bags. The bus hid me so she couldn't see me. I wondered if I round the corner of the bus that I would run into her. But no. She was sitting in the car. I approached very self-consciously. "This is it." Tracy opened the door and stepped out.

On my way...