First let me explain that part of the reason for going home for father's day was also to get the rest of my stuff that I couldn't fit on the first moving trip and left at home. This means that I was traveling yesterday with two HUGE rolling suitcases (one almost as tall as me) that were stuffed as full as possible plus a large sports bag stuffed as full as possible (very heavy). I probably could have left some at home for a later trip but I am a little ocd and my mind felt more at peace with taking it all at once. This was dumb.
I had no one to give me a ride to the Vamoose bus stop (DC-NY bus). I drove my dad's car to the metro so he could pick it up on his way home from work. My plan was to park at the metro stop and take the metro to the bus stop in Arlington, fool proof right? I even left an hour early because I knew I would be dealing with my luggage.
First things first, I get there and the parking garage at the metro is full. This means that I had to park in the overflow lot by the mall 1/2 mile away. I set out originally to walk the 1/2 mile and struggled with my two suitcases rolling in every direction but the one I wanted to, one in front and one behind, with my sports bag falling off every two seconds and the suitcases falling over every time I paused to readjust. Two people laughed at me. Finally a mall security truck pulls up and I'm thinking "thank goodness maybe he can give me a ride!" Nope. He tells me I should stop trying and just go wait for the bus shuttle that will take me to the metro (which I hadn't known about). By this point I have wasted 30 minutes and gotten nowhere so I go to the shuttle stop and wait by the sign that says FREE shuttle to metro. The bus finally shows up 20 minutes later and I am freaking out by this point about being late and missing the NY bus. I struggle to load all three of my bags onto the bus (with no one offering to help, just staring and some laughing) and I finally sit down and he tells me it is not free, "Why would you think it's free?" "Ummm the sign?" "No, they need to change that."
At this point I start tearing up out of frustration and embarrassment. Thankfully the lady next to me was really nice and gave me bus fare. Once I got there I got on the metro and to the NY bus barely in time (though walking another 1/4 mile from the Arlington metro stop to the bus stop). Everything else went better and in NY Pietro picked me up and helped me get my bags home.
LESSON OF THE DAY: don't take large luggage you can't handle on public transportation. Bad idea.
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