Meeting GREAT people on the METRO

I try not be too friendly in the METRO because I am afraid to be mistaken as "vulnerable"...
BUT I can't help it, when I am in another country I am always amazed by the hospitality :)
SO, I try to do the same .
Monday I was late to the first interview of my job hunting career.. it was a horrible feeling and i was sooo mad!
All because the bus driver was rude to a handicapped woman.. it turned out to be a violent exchange and the supervisor had to be called .. meanwhile, the passengers angrily waited ( I was one of them).

I met a nice man named Ebuka from Gabon. He shared his experiences in Paris and we actually had lots to talk about. HE invited me to his African parties in LA. It was a great cultural exchange :)
We were both going to an interview, we may have more in common with people than we think. So talking to strangers is not that bad, actually.
Sitting there talking to him reminded me of sitting in a train and relating to the African men on a train in Italy last year. These men were hard workers and it was so heartwarming to see one of them gazing at the picture of his family back home.
Being in a new land can be so confusing and lonely and when there is someone to talk to it is refreshing.. I have been on both ends.

Going "Green"

For 5 months I have been relying on public transportation in Mexico, Guatemala. To my surprise Mexico had a very impressive and effective system with subways and city buses not to mention, the popular 1st and 2nd class buses and terminals that get tourists and nationals alike to and fro big city destinations. My favorite was ADN, we had comfortable seats that leaned all the way back and we even had a snack bag- way better than the Greyhound.. But I must admit the snack bag got me ! :) Transportation in Guatemala-- hmmm.. questionable, but interesting. Lets just say you get to ride in an old 1980s school bus next to about 5 people in the same row and when it is a popular destination you get to stand. The driver is a fearless son of a gun that loves his amazing job.. or does he? Truly admirable though are the "ayudantes" (the aides), they strap your belongings to the top of the bus while the bus is driving away... its like an India Jones movie!! I had other experiences in the "micro" (pronounced mee-cro) - short for microbus. Overall I enjoyed the down time and people watching, it was always something interesting.
So with all these experiences I thought: "Piece of cake, I'm in LA I can get around just fine without a car"

**Sidenote: I sold my bluberry blue Acura Integra to finance my trip-- NO REGRETS.**

Say that again?? Well it has been a bit hard to get around BUT perfect timing to GO GREEN and save money for more important things. Job hunting with all its challenges has proven to be difficult, however the "Down time" I get in the bus and the metro is the cherry on the top of my day....WELL sometimes..
Other times it is stressful to hear people complain and be disrespectful with each other. At the same time it is an eye opener, and I feel familiar when passing through the poorest areas of LA I feel the way I felt when in Guatemala.. there is Hope. :)

What the..?!?!?!

So.....
I am back and this blog did not fulfill the purpose I intended it to have- technical difficulties were at an all time high and I (must admit) I was too relaxed to worry about the issues google had with this blog.
I did keep a journal and will find a way to pull stories and interesting events from it :)
I met great people, saw awesome places, and had an eventful journey back.
Nonetheless, I am Home <3
.. Whatever that means...

Because home is where the heart is AND my heart is many other places too ..