Detroit Day #1 (Sat Feb 23)
Friday afternoon I left for Detroit, MI on a bus at about 4:00pm. The total time for the trip was to be 25 hours! I was expecting the bus to be empty since I thought it would be pretty random to ride a bus up to MI from FL. BUT when I got on there, the bus was packed. So I ended up sitting next to this Bob Marley- wannabe. He was asleep for the hour but once we made the first stop, he got off for a "smoke" and when he came back on the bus, he wouldn't stop talking. Everytime we would stop for a break he would get off and come back reaking of weed. Not to mention he was already creepy without the weed, but luckily, once we got to Valdosta, this cute little old man got on the bus and took the creepy guy's spot. The old man just happened to be on his way to Detroit too. So for the next few stops in GA he told me all about Detroit and party lines and Henry Ford....it was amazing. Once we got to Atlanta, he helped me find me way around because the bus stop there is like an airport. When we transferred buses there in Atlanta, the little old man was moved to the front of the bus (they put the elderly in the front) and this girl came and sat with me. We started talking and I found out she was only 14 years old! Apparantly, her dad had died about a week before and her mom couldn't take care of her and her younger siblings by herself so she was on her way to Illinois to stay with her friend and their family. We stayed together all the way up until Lima,OH. We first saw SNOW in Kentucky! And we played with now in Cincinnati, OH (I was in flip-flops and had no jacket). Finally got to Detroit, MI at 5:00pm on Saturday. When I got off the bus, there was a group of people holding up signs for ASB waiting for me (Henda, John, Rebeca, Christy, and Rachael). We drove around Metro Detroit and Rebeca gave us some background on the city. We saw CANADA!!!!! Once we arrived at the school (we are staying at University of Michigan - Dearborn), we signed in and received shirts, jackets, and other goodies. We had dinner at Mexicantown (in Detroit) and then had an introduction ceremony (which included interesting ice breakers). The guys sleep in the gym and us girls sleep in the yoga room, so it's like a huge sleepover!