A Firsthand Experience...

[~JCGJ~]

In August of last year, one of my very good friends moved to Virginia, and I have yet to go visit.

So, for my 18th birthday (which is December 14), I've concocted a plan... I'm going to take a bus up to VA, to celebrate our birthdays (his is the day after mine)!

I'm really quite excited, not only to see my friend, but I'm also stoked to ride a bus for 8 hours (twice).
I've always loved to travel; it's generally the only time you'll see me sitting still and quiet, just staring out the window.
I've never taken the bus before, but the last time I took public transportation (the South Shore Train, from the Dunes of Indiana, to Chicago), I really had a great time talking with a guy who sat next to me, and I'm really looking forward to having some interesting conversations with others on this up-coming excursion.
I think the whole thing is reminiscent of Eugene, in "First Hand Experience," as I kind of consider this to be a "journey to myself," in a way.
I've never traveled on my own before (always with family), so it's kind of a new step in my life to ride a Greyhound from SC to VA by myself.
I'm both nervous, and excited about the trip.

Anyway, I have a question for y'all:
What's your general method of entertainment while traveling (car, bus, plane, train, etc.)? Any suggestions as to what I should do on my trip?
I also have a 1:45 layover in Charlotte; any suggestions as to how I could fill my time there (perhaps I might enjoy a visit from a nearby ToOer? )?

If there's no one to talk to, I generally just end up listening to an audio book, while watching the landscape slowly change outside the window.

[Catspaw]

I have never been on a bus trip that didn't involve a short ride on a schoolbus but that sounds like a fun trip! I've been to Virginia once, and it was really beautiful....not to mention that there are some great people there My grandma has done some tourist-geared bus trips and has really enjoyed getting to know some of her fellow bus passengers.

I ended up voting for a ton of things on the list. It depends a lot on how much I'm driving or the passenger, and how I'm getting there. I like to read on a plane, but I can't read in a car without feeling ill. Music or AIO is good to block out other noise if there's nobody fascinating to talk to. Traveling can be a great time for quiet time and prayer, since some of the other distractions aren't there (assuming that there are no shrieking babies within earshot.)

Make sure you let us know how your trip goes and how you pass the time!

[~JCGJ~]

I deffinately will, considering I'll have about 8 hours (each way) in which to fill.

[Anna><>]

What I generally do is take a bagillion pictures of the scenery from my window... they always end up being bad and blurry but that's okay!

[Jesus' Princess]

I voted for several of the options in your poll. I usually listen to music/audiobooks, read, or do schoolwork. What I've been doing most recently is taking my laptop along, and teaching myself how to use the Adobe graphic programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects) Also, when possible, I like to take turns driving, although that doesn't sound like an option for you in this case

I'm also known for just sitting in the car and staring out the window for long periods of time.

[Catspaw]

I have to post again to note how remiss I was in not saying how much I love the title of the thread! Very clever.

Anna, I agree that window pictures are usually terrible, but I have gotten a few decent shots that way. It's better than nothing if you can't stop!

[~JCGJ~]

I have to post again to note how remiss I was in not saying how much I love the title of the thread! Very clever.

Yeah, I figured someone would appreciate that.

[Doll]

When I'm traveling (I've only traveled by riding in the car, except for the one time I took a plane), I usually start out the ride by listening to music, then I move on to listening to AIO. I do read for a bit, but lately it's been making me carsick. I do bring puzzle books to do as well, and sometimes my cross stitch or crochet. I very rarely am able to sleep while in the car, however.

[Marvin D.]

I've traveled on bus, car, train, plane, and boat throughout the years. And really, it depends. A lot of my time is spent looking beyond me, but that's because I'm being a writer and trying to figure out how I'd put it into words. I'll write what I do for each one.
Car: I've been in a LOT of car trips. We traveled from Missouri to New York, down to Florida, and then back to Missouri last year. So thousands of miles, obviously. I did a lot of reading, I played games on my iPod, I listened to some music sparingly, and helped my dad navigate his way through busy areas. And I was in charge of handing out food, as well. Depending on what kind of day it'd been, I slept.
Boat: Boat rides were far more limited, but I took one last year from Bonaire to Klein Bonaire, an uninhabited island just off the coast. And I've taken one in Virginia, and in New York. I'm either talking with friends or looking out at the water.
Plane: Again, lots of flights over three continents. It's a hectic process, so sometimes I just fall asleep. But frankly, sleeping on a plane is very uncomfortable >_> I listen to music on the flight's radio station, watch an in-flight movie if it's free, read on my Kindle (I read the Hunger Games trilogy over several flights), eat awful airplane food, and stare out the window. Obviously.
Train: Mostly in Europe, obviously. Making train/bus/metro connections are crazy Sometimes you run full-sprint not to miss your train, so you're exhausted. For most of the rides, I was with friends, so we'd play card games and talk, or I'd play a game on my iPod. I didn't carry my Kindle around Switzerland, though. When we went up to Jungfrau, the Top of Europe, we all did a lot of photo-taking, obviously. And since we were going all over the place, there was plenty to look at.
Bus/Metro/Tram/Whatever: Hardly time to nap. Again, window-watching, reading, games. Sometimes talking, depending on who I was with.

Basically, there's a lot of staring out the window. And, if you're fortunate, a good travel companion. Sometimes they're kooky, but that's half the fun. One time when I was somewhere between Ohio and New York, I wound up with an interesting New Age-y lady who said she'd send energy my way