A Bus is Not a Train

I thought my first real world lesson would be more complicated. After waiting for the only bus route I’m thoroughly familiar with in the dark, I realized my bus was not coming. “Better call Scott to rescue you,” I thought. Clearly, inspired by Beyonce’s “Flawless,” I ditched the damsel in distress role and marched to conquer the only other type of transportation, the light rail.

The light rail is essentially a modern train that has one continuous route that passes through all the major points in Seattle. “Easy enough,” I thought. Panic arose in me as the battery symbol on my phone turned red, and I knew Google Maps would only work for another few minutes. So I purchased a light rail ticket and made my way even deeper into the depths of Seattle’s public transit system.

After quickly locating the light rail, I frantically hopped on. What began as a feeling of accomplishment soon became anxiousness again as I realized we were far past my destination. I made the snap decision to get off the light rail. However, to my surprise when I stepped out onto the damp dark street I was not on any sort of train but rather a bus. In a state of confusion and ultimate disarray, my first thought was “how did the light rail change into a bus?” Not logical, but I was left literally scratching my head trying to decipher the moment when my train decided to leave the tracks and morph into a bus.

Truly disappointed in my failed efforts, I decided to call the boyfriend. I found shelter in a Rite Aid and aimlessly wandered the aisles and was dubiously watched by the security guard before Scott arrived. I can’t say I’ve ever been so relieved to see the “champagne egg” (code name for his temporary van) roll up.

I do my best to maintain control over my life but I’m realizing not everything is as simple as matching my nail color to my outfit. Yes, on that fateful day my “hot mess” side prevailed and hopefully through more trial and error, someday I’ll be able to live up to the perfection of my spotless Calvin Klein patent leather pumps.

A week later, I successfully boarded the light rail from downtown Seattle to Columbia City. Although I got a round of applause when I returned home, I can’t live down the day I boarded a train and got off a bus.