Beauty in unusual places...

Hello!

After just about finishing my first month back in school, I can proudly say that being back on the bus has been fantastic! I consider it such a blessing that it works with my schedule to ride the bus, save gas, save money, save the air, and be able to be around people to meet and observe.

I've seen this sign from the bus I take down J Street several times and thought it was so random, but powerful at the same time. It kinda goes along with the theme of this blog....

There haven't been any too crazy stories over the last month, but the thing that keeps hitting me is the small things that happen around us that can be so beautiful. I've mostly been riding the bus from Davis to Sacramento, which goes right through West Sac. For those of you not around here, parts of West Sac are not so nice so there are very interesting people riding with me. Amidst what judgments I may have had prior to getting familiar to this route, I've seen some pretty neat things. And these I am excited to tell you all about :)

Last week one middle aged lady was getting on the bus and didn't have enough money to buy her ticket. Not even 30 seconds of the driver saying she owed $1, 3 different people piped up to give her a dollar.

This morning a young mom with a tiny baby in a car-seat got on the bus. It was PACKED today because it was a "Spare the Air" day (this is where the bus is free all day due to high temperatures or poor air quality). One lady moved from the front so she could sit down in a single spot with the car-seat. By the next stop a sweet little Asian man moved towards the back so she could have the whole row he was in.

Also this morning, a little family of 3 got on the bus. Their little boy was 16 months old and SO cute. He was getting a little fussy with his mom so the dad (who was standing) came over and got him. The little boy was instantly so happy to be with his dad. He was sitting on his lap and they were adorable together. They were laughing and making funny faces and everyone on the bus was giggling with them because that child was so stinkin' cute!

Like I mentioned, today was "Spare the Air". This in itself is such a great concept to encourage people to ride the bus. Transportation and even bus fares really can add up depending on how many trips you have to take each day. It was neat to see people's faces when the bus driver told them it was free today. Not having to pay that $2, I could tell, was a relief. Almost everyone said, "Wait, really??"

So whatever city you're in, whether it's your favorite place in the world or just somewhere you are temporarily, I inspire you with these two thoughts: take the time to look for beauty in the small things around you and try to do something each day, whether it's smiling at someone or picking up a piece of garbage, to make that city a little better.

Love,

Bus Girl