Getting Ready.

	Preface

	On January 6, 1998 I left to go see Tracy. I grabbed my suitcase filled with clothes and walked to the trolley stop. I waited and waited for the trolley. Time seemed to go so slowly. I was thinking of what to expect when I got there. Would she like me? Would she hate me? What would happen? The trolley finally came and I dragged my 2 bags onboard. The trolley was packed of course. It was around 2:30 and the local schools had let out. I had to stand the whole trip to 19th street. I arrived and dragged my heavy bag up from underground. I looked around and crossed Market Street on the way to the station located at 17th and Arch. It took forever it seemed. The heavy bag was cutting into my hand. I stopped several times on the way. I finally got to 17th and Arch. I looked around. No bus station. I walked around more looking for a bus. Any bus. None to be found. I struggled to the pay phone and called home. My Grandmother had been wrong the station wasn't there. It was 10 blocks away from where I was. I moaned and groaned. I started the second part of my pre-journey. I had 22 hours of being on the bus ahead of me.


	I finally made it. The bus wasn't there yet so I put down my bag and walked around a bit. Several people milled about. Some sitting watching TV on the chair/TV hybrids. I walked over to the snack bar and bought a soda. I grabbed my bags and walked outside to the bus loading docks. I looked at all the busses. Atlantic City bus was loading. A bus to New York pulled in. Another to Raleigh, South Carolina. Finally the bus I was looking for pulled up to loading dock 9. I waited go into line. An old Asian woman came up to me pointing to her ticket saying "San Antonio?". I had no clue what she was talking about. She obviously didn't speak any English. Some lady standing in front of me took over and pointed her to a driver who pointed her to the right bus, my bus. I dropped off my bags and handed over my ticket. I waved bye to my bag and boarded the bus. I found a seat and dropped exhaustedly into it. I am already tired and I have been on the road for 0 hours, 0 minutes, and 0 seconds. The bus is quickly filled. Some guy with long dirty blond hair sits down next to me. My knees hurt. They are barely touching the back of the seat in front of me. Seems like the seats were made to conform to people 5' 11" and under. My height is 5' 11" and three fourths. The driver boarded and started the engine. The bus shook. I thought to myself "What did you get yourself into Greg". The driver honked the horn and slowly backed out.

Preface