It’s only a two-hour ride from New York City to Philadelphia, but my sister slept through the majority of it.
She woke up in a daze after the bus pulled into the station at noon.
“You know…it’s really not far, but for some reason I feel like we traveled a long way,” she said.
I felt it, too. I usually dread commuting, but there’s something about crossing state lines that really excites me. Maybe it’s the feeling of getting away or the thrill of exploring a new place. Whatever it is, I’m always happy to leave New York City behind for a few days.
While I can’t always board a plane and ship off to another country, I can visit other states on a much more budget-friendly basis. In the past, my options as a license-less New Yorker used to be quite limited, but I have since discovered the Megabus, which offers low-cost, express bus service from one city center to another, sometimes for as low as $1.
Photos Courtesy of Matty via Flickr (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
My roundtrip ride to Philly cost about $30, which bought me WiFi service, immediate access to an outlet and a decent amount of legroom. A passenger can also reserve special seats near the front of the bus, which provides a panoramic view ahead.
If you have extra change to spare, I highly recommend reserving any of the first four seats on the second floor of the double-decker bus just for the ceiling-to-floor windows. I claimed it once without having to pay the fee, but the opportunity presented itself only because I had chosen to take the 4 a.m. trip to Boston.
Photo Courtesy of EDDIE via Flickr (edited)(creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
The night before that impromptu vacation, I very bravely decided to pull an all-nighter in order to catch my ride on time.
Although I initially regretted the decision, the bus was nearly empty when I boarded. I quickly claimed the best seat and forced myself to stay awake to see the sun rise.
At some point night slipped away and turned into day. I thought I had my eye on the skyline the entire time, but the sun had sneakily fixed itself onto the horizon and painted the sky in a hazy orange before enveloping it completely in bright, yellow light.
Photo Courtesy of abdallahh via Flickr (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
I don’t know why I was so in awe of it all.
This sudden exchange between the moon and the sun is so predictable, yet I’ve only ever seen a handful of sunrises. They've all been so memorable that I can still close my eyes and watch them play back in my mind like a film projected onto a screen.
My view from the Megabus, though modest, has definitely been one of the best. I think it came when I needed it the most.
I didn't know it at the time, but the $30 price also included a view I’ll never forget. Perhaps my experience will now convince you to book a trip out of the city soon.
