After two years at BC, I had been waiting for one of those “defining moment” experiences to shake up my life. Appalachia was that moment for me. Not only did I get to see an entirely new part of the country, but I also made some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had. Appalachia is a spring break service trip that takes 600 students throughout the Appalachia region to work in solidarity with the country’s most impoverished communities. Drinking on a beach just cannot compare to the bonds formed when you’re sleeping on the floor with 12 of your peers who haven’t showered in three days.
The friendships begin to form immediately, as you’re forced to sit on a bus for 14 hours with complete strangers. Needless to say, you aren’t strangers anymore after that trip. Here’s how we survived the endless bus ride:
1. Movies But not just any movies. You need a comedy, something people know all of the lines to, and/or a movie with fantastic music. We watched Pitch Perfect, which was the best combination of those three factors. Then we tried to watch Oceans 11 and quickly learned that road trip movies cannot have loud explosive sounds unless you want the driver to veer off the road (that didn’t happen but I imagine it could).
2. Competitions We had an entire bus of people to participate in a talent show, but you could feasibly have a similar competition with only a few people. It’s a fun way to get to know your fellow bus-riders and you can show off some hidden skills. Our talent show consisted of one group rapping to “Get Low,” one group singing a Celine Dion song, and one group doing the “Cups Song” from Pitch Perfect. The “Cups Song” is a great party trick. I recommend everyone learn it.
3. Sleep The key here is to know how to sleep comfortably in an upright seat with a stranger sitting next to you. Snuggling clearly isn’t the best option, but if possible, I highly recommend leaning on your bus buddy. If not, take a pillow, blanket, or jacket, and use it to form a small wing on your chair to lean on. Then prop your knees on the seat in front of you. You are now in semi-fetal position, lying horizontally as much as possible, and sleeping should be a little easier.