Shamrockin' the Bus- Newport St. Paddy's Day Parade

First bus trip to write about! The Newport St. Patrick's Day parade!! 

So, I've done this trip about a zillion times since I grew up in Newport. I visit there frequently so it wasn't really a huge adventure, but it was still a fun time. The buses that travel between Providence and Newport are routes 14 and 60. I was visiting Newport to go to my friend Brigid's pre-parade breakfast which started at 9:30. Route 14 schedule has it arriving in Newport at 9:04 so that was my best option. I prefer the 14 over the 60 for a direct route to Newport when I can because it tends to have fewer passengers, where the 60 is usually pretty full for a good part of the trip. Since I was travelling from the origin point all the way to the last stop, the route I was taking didn't matter. The route 14 goes through "West Bay"..so it travels from Providence to the airport in Warwick, through East Greenwich, and North Kingstown. It gets a little bit tricky because the 14 splits...one trip will travel to Narragansett, and  another trip takes you to Newport so you need to be aware when you're reading the schedule and boarding the bus. The Newport trip goes through Jamestown and then to Newport. It's a really nice ride, and the morning of the parade was really nice and I got to take in some really great views on the way down.

I've ridden the 14 bunches of times and it might start of a little crowded in the bus but never packed full. Usually  people get out at the airport,  and a few more stops along the way and maybe 5 or 6 people ride all the way to Newport. On parade day, however, it was a whole different story. Parade goers thought ahead and decided to leave the cars at home and take the bus over. It was pretty obvious that most of them were newbies to the bus system. I always forget how daunting and intimidating it is the first few times riding a bus..where does the money go, where to sit, when to get out..in written word it seems simple but it really is sort of overwhelming at first.

I was seated near a group of about 8 younger folks, all seemed to be in their early 20's, most of whom fell into the "newbie" bus rider category. And obviously heading to the parade as they were adorably dressed head to toe in festive green garb. I overheard them talking about riding the bus and the condition of the buses and it didn't sound like it was something that thrilled them, to put it politely haha. However, when I asked them if they would ride the bus more often if it was more frequent in their area, and ran later they were very enthusiastic that they would...especially late night trips between Newport and Providence for night life. 

So, we arrived at the Newport Gateway Center in Newport right around 9 as planned. It's about a 20 minute walk to my friends house in the neighborhood referred to as the Fifth Ward. The parade started at 11, and as I headed down America's Cup Blvd  to Thames Street at 9:00am there were already people claiming their seats along the parade route. As I walked further into Newport, there were more and more people milling about, setting up their yards for the day. I noticed quite a few beer pong tables going up,too!. (National Sport of Irish Americans!) 

After a great visit with friends, complete with pre-parade breakfast and Irish coffee, I headed back down towards the parade route. I decided to leave on a bus early in the afternoon to avoid the crowds later in the day, knowing the later it got the more rambunctious (drunk) the crowds would be. 

Along the parade it was a sea of folks in green. Families gathered at one end while party was going on pretty much every where else. Walking against the boisterous crowd got difficult at some points but I had two marriage proposals from people I had never met..totally worth it. (I declined both) 

The parade was great. Lots of bagpipers and drums, a few marching bands, and just lots and lots of fun. It had been about ten years since I had been to the St. Patrick's Day Parade and I'm really glad I went! One of the highlights for me was a quick hug from my uncle who was marching in the parade with the Jamestown Volunteer Fire Dept. Lots of pics and some videos to share, I hope you enjoy! 

Peace, love and shamrocks!
-Bridget the Happy Bus Girl

http://www.newportirish.com/parade.html

One Door Closes and Infinite Possibilities Open

Today was my last day at work. It was very emotional, very sad. I have worked with my  "work family" for the past five years...they have been with me through many major events in my life- marriage, home buying,  divorce,  the loss of family members (including pets) and were an amazing support system for me. I couldn't have asked for better people to work with.

I know that I will still see them and keep in touch, but it's still hard to think that I won't be with them every day and I will miss them tremendously. I do, however,  know that they are all strong, amazing people and we all have such great things ahead!

Now that my day job is done, I have some bus adventures planned!! I'm pretty excited to see what happens! Haha! First trip is this weekend, so stay tuned!!!! I'll give you a hint for this one, since it's my first official blog trip: I made an Itunes playlist for my Iphone with the Clancy Brothers with Tommy Makem and The Dropkick Murphy's for the bus ride. :)

Peace, Love, and Endless Possibilities!!
-Bridget the Happy Bus Girl

Inquiring Minds Want to Know (I know you do!)

So, I thought I'd answer the burning question going through all of your minds...why don't I drive.

Yep...I'm 35 and never had a license...not for a lack of trying! I even took the road test when I was 22..I didn't pass it because I ended up backing up onto grass. Epic fail.

Ok, so...as some of you may know, I have Tourette Syndrome. For those who aren't too familiar with that, it's not just about screaming out expletives. Actually that happens to a very small percentage of Tourette's folks. Tourette's causes involuntary movements and sounds. I have a WHOLE lot of involuntary movements, including this weird eye/face scrunching thing I do (it sounds weird but it's kind of adorable, trust me) which can cause my eyes to be closed for like, 15 seconds at a time. 15 seconds doesn't sound like a very long time, but if you sit still with your eyes closed for 15 seconds you'll realize it's a REALLY long time to have your eyes closed while operating a vehicle. 

Now, that being said, it has nothing to do with me not driving. 

When I was 16 and had my learners permit I got into a huge accident (my bad!) and that was enough to scare the heck out of me. My dad was with me at the time, and urged me to drive home from the accident, and  I refused. Looking back on it, it probably would have been a good idea, but I didn't and everything's for a reason. 

So, if I'm asked if I don't drive because of my Tourette's I will tell you yes, absolutely, without a doubt. For a couple of  reasons (a) it's not exactly a lie, there is *some* truth to it, the eye scrunching/neck thrashing/arm flailing thing does make me nervous although under the right circumstances I probably could suppress the tics for as long as needed (b) it's easy, and an answer that people are happy to accept. It's MUCH easier than trying to explain and defend a phobia.

As it stands, I am happy to leave the driving to the professionals. Public transportation, cabs, feet, trains, and bumming rides with friends is totally ok with me. (And honestly, the cost involved with owning a car?!?!?!!.....that's a whole other story, don't even get me started on that.....)

I have a big adventure planned coming up in the next couple of weeks... looking forward to sharing with you guys!!! Stay tuned!

Peace, love and big cups of java!

Bridget the Happy Bus Girl

Bridget the Happy Bus Girl

Hi! I'm Bridget. I'm from the Providence RI area, 35 years old, divorced and mom to an awesome cat named Maizy.  For the last few years I have been on a journey of life changes and self and spiritual growth. Also, for the past 5 years I worked for one of the largest healthcare companies in the world. On January 17, 2013 myself and 68 other employees received notices that due to the business climate and corporate restructuring, our positions at the company were being terminated. My position ends March 15, 2013.

I am using this "transition" (that's the word you use when you are between jobs..I've learned a lot during this process!) to make positive changes to my life, including changing careers to a holistic practitioner (I'm a Reiki Master Teacher) and pursue other passions like photography. And coffee. OH and cats, too.

I also don't drive. Which leads me to how I decided to do this blog. During my transition, I am going to ride every bus in Rhode Island and see where it takes me. And you get to see where it takes me, too! My plan is to reach as many places as possible by using Rhode Island Public Transportation and share my experiences, photos,  and visits and you get to meet my friends along the way. They're awesome, you're going to love them!

You can expect to see my bus adventure stories, everyday bus stories (which can be an adventure in itself!) and other various bits and pieces of my life. 

Bridget the Happy Bus Girl