Train-> Bus-> Plane

And within the blink of an eye, I'm back on Vassar campus.

Recently I became obsessively aware of time and ever since it seems like the hours are just speeding by. Maybe I should forget about it. My life was better when four days seemed like an eternity. Actually, finals week still seems to cover an eternity to the point where afterwards I like to refer to it as "the lost days of my life." What was really shocking was afterwards, when my corporate power professor actually called my final paper "good." Hah. It was pretty hard for me to accept such a compliment, much less the B+ I was rewarded for it (you learn not to expect too much around here.... or at least I did when I was a freshman).

Anyways, I spent most of last week in Madison, Wisconsin (between Tuesday night and Saturday evening) visiting my boyfriend and his family, and just so you know, they're all very nice people. Both my boyfriend Patrick '08 and his sister, Beth '05, share with me Vassar as their choice of college. In fact, Beth is the one who first taught me how to get from Vassar to LaGuardia airport in Queens. While I was a freshman the quest seemed really intimidating, but now as a senior I can practically sleep through it. Just break it down into a simple three-step process: 1. train-> 2. bus-> 3. plane.

1. The first thing you do is find a way to get to the Poughkeepsie train station. Manhattan is the most common destination for anyone leaving from Poughkeepsie, so it's really easy to figure out which train to take. Trains leave on the half hour (8:30, 9:30, 10:30, etc.) and arrive at Grand Central station, located on 42nd Street, where you will find……

2. The bus! There are two options for buses to take once you've arrived at Grand Central: the $2.00 city bus or the $12 airport bus. In my opinion, paying the extra $10 for the airport bus is a deal. The buses leave right from Grand Central every half hour and visit the three New York City airports: LaGuardia, Newark, and JFK (always ask the driver which one is going to your destination!). But even though these buses cost more and are filled with other like-minded travelers, don't expect the bus drivers themselves to be completely sane. In fact, the last driver I had was downright nutty. He kept mumbling to himself about how mad he was while checking our tickets and uncontrollably raising and lowering his voice. I felt like I was on candid camera. I was pretty scared of him, but I ended up at LaGuardia alive, which was good. He probably won't last too long at that job.

3. The airport. I'm actually kind of ticked about my trip to LaGuardia last week. Since 9/11-ish, people are being advised to arrive at the airport some ridiculous amount of hours prior to their flight to ensure they have enough time to get through security. That's a lie. Considering it took me less than 2 minutes to get through security at LaGuardia, I have no idea what they are talking about. I kind of wish it had taken me an hour to get through security because I was so bored afterwards I didn't know what to do with myself while I waited to board. Honestly, I wouldn't get there any earlier than an hour and a half before a flight because even if you're running a little late, airport workers will help you get you to your gate in time. Take my word for it-I worked at an airport last summer.

And on the trip back? Just repeat the cycle in reverse. But beware-here are some snags I ran into on the way:

1. Due to the whole liquid ban, every liquid or cream in your carry on must be in a zip-lock bag. But being the environmentally conscious Vassar student I am, it didn't seem necessary for me to put my one tiny tube of wasabi in a plastic bag, thereby wasting a bag on only one small item. But I guess I was wrong; airport security guards cannot tell the difference in size between a sandwich sized zip-lock bag and a two-inch long tube of wasabi unless the wasabi is actually in the plastic bag. Silly me.

2. If you get hit on by a teenager at the airport, lie about your age. Faking 24 years old is a lot easier than watching an 18 year old try to impress you with his Air Jordans.

3. The sketchy cabs at Poughkeepsie Station aren't as sketchy as they seem. And they're surprisingly cheap. If you're still afraid to ride them, talk on your cell phone while in the cab. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to Poughkeepsie Station- you'll find out.)

In total, the trip (both ways) cost me a little over $50-train tickets (both ways) cost $25, the airport bus costs $21 when buying round trip tickets, and the sketchy cab was $6. Here are some money-saving tips:

1. Always buy round trip train tickets and make sure to purchase them at the train station. Tickets always cost more when purchased separately and an additional fee applies if purchased on the train. If you frequent New York City, look into getting a 10 pass. A 10 pass costs $100, but it lets you ride the train for only $10 each way. If you don't go too often, share it with a friend.

2. The same philosophy goes for bus tickets-it would have cost me $12 each way if I had not purchased the round trip tickets for $21. However, bear in mind that bus tickets have a 30 day expiration date unlike train tickets, which makes them worthless if you plan on using your extra ticket after summer break.

3. Most likely under a time constraint while getting to the airport, you might not want to ride the city buses. But if you aren't afraid of them, feel free to take the M60 city bus to Harlem Station on your way home. Harlem Station is on the Poughkeepsie line, which is great because the city bus only costs $2 and still gets you where you need to go.

4. Try to convince a friend to drive you to the train station. It saves you money that would have been spent on either parking or calling a cab. Trust me, you'll want that extra $5 when you get to Grand Central and need lunch....



I should be allowed to teach a course on this; I could use a supplemental income.