¡Por Fin! - A Post in Three Parts

Part I:
It's happening.
We have a date.
SmarTrip is coming to Fairfax Connector!!
Click here to read all about it.

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Part II:
In other bus news, I must mention my new commute. Rather than have Kristin drive me to the Park & Ride in the morning, which involves getting Clara up and into her car seat, I am walking a few blocks and catching a bus to the Park & Ride. From there I take a bus to the Metro and the train to my office. I live pretty far outside the city and am able to take public transportation the entire length of my commute. If I leave my house at 7:25a, I will be at my desk by 8:30a. And I don't have to drive. And it only costs me $2.95.

I love public transport.

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Part III:
I remember reading an article about people who ride the bus. The author was talking about how the regulars come to "know" each other, even if they never exchange names or have meaningful conversations. In this instance, the author remembers experiencing a young couples pregnancy, then after a short absence, seeing them bring their child on the bus. Everyone on the bus congratulated the couple their first day back.

There is a woman I see each day on the 7:30a bus who gets off at a shopping center en route. Today, as I boarded the bus, she gave me a brief smile, and I smiled back. When we came to her stop, she turned to me and said, "Have a good day." I echoed the comment. It was a nice way to start the morning: a pleasant greeting and a warm smile. I was very excited to realize that I have made a bus friend.

It's no secret that the one source of great discord in our marriage is that fact that I want to live for one year in a major city, ideally New York, and Kristin will have nothing to do with the idea. There's something about urban living that excites me, it strikes me as romantic in a way I can't quite explain. I view bus friends as an urban experience. Perhaps that's why it thrills me so.