July 19

Well I woke up in time, 5:05 in the morning, and let me tell you, yuck. I hopped in the shower then crawled up the bed next to me to pull the light switch on. I gathered my stuff as quietly as possible. Going from a bike trip to a backpacking on is difficult with four paniers a handlebar bag, tarps and a tent. I condensed them as much as possible but it's still a handful. I started by piling all the bags outside the hostel door and then carrying an armful out to where the French girls were standing at the road.

I lost my key and had to get another one o get back in the gate to grab my other bags. God thing I had fifteen minutes to spare.

At the curb trying to communicate with the French girls so early in the morning was killing my brain with the French, English, italian jarble we used.

Our bus just went by, that was something we didn't need words to understand. Danielle went into the road and just watches it go. I tried to call the number but the connection was bad. I'm to tired to care much so went back to organizing.

Danielle is in the road again falling her arms. A huge supertours bus is hailing to a stop. I struggle to grab all my bags and te tiny French girl scoops up my tent and tarps and runs across the road. I've decide I now like French people.

The heavy set bus driver gets out and lights his cigarettes. We give him the rest of out ticket money as he checks off our names and throws our stuff under the bus.

Now, I don't know what I was thinking when i anticipated the bus being virtually empty for the trek from Miami beach to Orlando, but it wasn't. I squeezed down the aisle through the sleeping masses of people behind the two French girls managing to find a double seat near the front.

Its not to bad I thought as I situated my stuff next to me and pulled out one of the blueberry breakfast the guy from Starbucks had given me the night before.

I love the way the city looks in the morning, The sun Coming over the ocean hitting the buildings with pink and orange streaks of light. Then there is the mix of people, rolling out of bed or just into it.

We are picking up more people, bummer.

And more people...

It's feels so weird riding out of the city on a bus knowing I rode my bike the whole way here from Maine. It makes the trip feel insignificant. Like spending hours cutting out letters with exacto knife before someone shows you the letter press.

We just made another stop, thee is NO way all these people are getting on this bus.

A bigger black woman just eyes up my seat. A little Spanish girl about seven was in the seat in front of her with the seat reclined. You should have seen the look on that girls face when this lady squeezed in behind her takin two hands and tryin to upright the girls seat in front of me.

Someone just tooted, it's real bad in here.

So I'm chillen at burgerking in Orlando. The airport is twelve miles away and I'm not quite sure how I'm getting there yet. I made my two front bags into a backpack so that should make things a little easier. I got raking with the lady siting next to me on the bus. She is pretty nice and her friend works at the airport here. I guess her friend is going to give me a ride but she hasn't asked yet and the lady just took her suitcase and went to the flea market. She said she would call me in a half hour, I just got done looking up walking directions...

I guess my gut that she was a nice lady was right on this one, she just called me back to say her friends flight was at the gate and she will Be here not to much longer and will give me a ride to the airport. Talk about luck.

I got the seat on the plane next to the baby that likes to throw things She's pretty stinking cute though, at that stage where she is just learning to talk, reminds me of when I was in Italy.

That was probably the longest taxi in history. Im impressed how good the little girl is next to me. There is a real classy looking lady sitting next to me, black cocktail dress, nice shoes and glasses,'well I thought she was classy till she ripped out of one of the GREAT DEAL pages of the on board style magazine then the name sticker.

It doesn't even feel like I did the bike trip. It all feels so normal, like what are you here for? Oh Disney world, you? Or, I rode my bike here from Maine. I thought i would feel a lot more gratification, I guess i felt all that when i first crossed the border. All I want is a cheeseburger and a nap, maybe a beer too.


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Location:N 29th Ave,Hollywood,United States