My first time in the US was in the summer of 2004. Before and after that trip, I learned a lot about culture in the States from watching American television series and movies. One of the cultural things that keep coming back on a lot of these series and movies is high school. There is so much to learn about high school from just watching those, or is there? I was always intrigued by the idea of a school bus. From the moment I arrived in Saint Louis, I wanted to ride a school bus. I mean, everybody can name at least three movies in which the school bus plays a role, it’s really something that has a cult status (or at least in my head). Unfortunately, riding the school bus is just reserved for students, so all I could do was watch them ride through the city and wonder what it would be like to get on one of those.
Then, one weekend, my dream came true. At a festival in Saint Charles, the organization had wanted to prevent people from parking just around the festival itself. As the event happened on a Saturday, people had to park at a local high school, where a school bus drove them back and forth. I took my chance. I was the only one excited about the system, and maybe the person most excited to ever ride a school bus. Also, my girlfriend was so excited for me, she kept making pictures. Of course, after five minutes the excitement had worn off and I was waiting to get back, but at least I could scratch this one of my bucket list. Score!
I feel that way about most things that I’m excited to do – once I’ve done it, I wonder why I even wanted to! But, I’m glad you got to scratch something off!
I hope some things are worthwile a little longer, but this was clearly most spectacular as the idea itself. Welcome to my blog!
Your ride on the schoolbus was different, not like hanging at the bus stop everyday chattin’ it up, telling stories, getting the scoop on who is breaking up, the latest movie, etc.
It was hard for you to be excited because you weren’t with friends that you have riden with forever, looked foreward to being with every day, shared your life with.
Hope you enjoyed it all the same.
I did realize that. It was the idea that I wanted to capture and I sure am glad I could do that. I will get my views on an actual high school visit out tomorrow, as it also was quite the experience (and a big difference to what I am used to).
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Did you get to sit in the back or did you opt for the front?
The back you get to make faces at the cars behind you, the middle you get to hang out the window before the driver sees you, and in the front, you get to work the door sometimes if the driver is in a good mood.
Nowadays it’s so much different with the cameras installed. Used to, we got away with so much mischief and fun!
And btw, the bus IS cool. So glad you got to do it.
From all I had learned, all the cool kids sit in the back. So that’s what I did. I still can’t help smiling whenever I see one driving around (they are used to promote stuff back here, so there are some around as a marketing prop).