Journey Home

Journey Home

The sunshine flickers in my eyes; a cacophony composed of screams, yells, laughs, and smooches runs through my ears; a herd of students rushes past me; another school day ended at Casa Grande High School. As I walk through this chaotic scene, I rush towards Ely Boulevard. Here, I face my options of journeying home: to walk or not to walk? Walking, riding, biking - I want to get home without any obstacles, as most people do, or so I hope.

Two Petaluma Transit buses stand by a little, dirty, and useless sign that marks the official bus stop. One of the busses goes towards downtown and the other, one with a much larger amount of people, heads towards Meadow Elementary and K-Mart. The backside reeks with gasoline, as much as the inside reeks with sweat. Students hurry into the bus, quickly stuffing the transparent box with their dollars and try to find a nice seat. In just five minutes after the school day is over, the bus fills to most of its capacity: usually it goes over the permitted limit. The overflow of people forces the last ones to enter to be stuck in the front, millimeters away from people unfamiliar to them, bonded by the sole purpose of their stay on the bus: get home. An assortment of people crowd the Casa Grande – K-Mart route: honors students and pointlessly loud girls and pointlessly loud boys and eight grade girls that came there for fun and boys that like to use illegal substances and anime fanatics and out-of-season athletes and bus veterans and quiet music lovers and upperclassmen that are too lazy to begin driving lessons. The most intricate and interesting conversations can be overheard on the fifteen-minute ride: travelers discuss homework, grades, weed, weekend plans, gossip, love stories, books, TV shows, movies, clothes all at the same time.

Bad breaths. Sweaty shirts. Dirty socks. Strong perfume. Greasy hair. The air becomes heavier as the bus reaches East Washington. After this street, the passengers realize the importance of open windows. Loud screams. Loud whispers. Loud laughs. Loud yells. Loud road bumps. Veteran bus-riders’ voices automatically become louder as soon as they enter the bus; inexperienced ones get accustomed to this unspoken necessity in a few minutes.

Although the bus is frenzied, obstreperous, and dirty, it is a social place. As the engine runs, gasoline burns, driver drives, the passengers socialize. It provides me with an opportunity to spend time with my friends before I have to enter my house and be burdened by the immense amount of homework that begs me to do it. It is a relaxing and much-needed break between schoolwork and homework. My giggle joins in with the crazy dissonance, along with my high-pitched voice and homework grumbles. My stress flies away through the thick, dirty air.

My alternative for using the Petaluma Transit system is walking the three-mile distance from Casa Grande to my house. It is a “green”, money and hearing conserving choice. My ears and mouth get a time to relax, but in a different way. Peace comes to me during my walk. Nothing but houses, trees, cars, and my thoughts surround me on this stroll. My friends, the headphones, accompany and comfort me, sometimes making me dance or at least bang my head. Cars ignore me, the pedestrian, and I return them the favor.

On this walk, my oddest thoughts come to me– creative ideas and plans, old music and lyrics, exciting memories and situations – these and many more random thoughts run through my brain. I want to run home and accomplish all the things I want to, but my un-athletic shoes and heavy bag forbid me to do so, thus I spend an hour walking home. As my journey progresses, the amount of people walking beside me quickly reduces. Other students go to their nearby homes while I keep walking past the streetlights.

While the bus has screamers, the streets scream peace; while the bus gives me with fifteen minutes of chaos, my walk gives me with an hour to think; while as the bus travels farther, people becomes louder, as I walk farther, people go away; while the bus surrounds me by my friends, the streets surround me with air; while the bus stinks with carbon dioxide, the streets fragrance fresh oxygen; while the bus gives me new things to me, my walk brings old memories back to me; while being surrounded by people is amusing, being alone is inspiring.

--Anastasia B.