How to survive a Mega Bus trip to Chicago

I have the horrific pleasure to ride the Mega Bus today. I am vacationing in Chicago for the next 4 days with some wonderful friends from Northern Ireland and thought, ‘I will save money and decide to ride the bus instead of fly’. While this seemed like a good idea to me at the time, I’m not sure I made the correct choice. Oh well, I’m here, sitting at a Caribou in Chicago, waiting for my friends to arrive, and the Mega Bus trip is behind me. I would like to offer some suggestions on how to survive a ride from Minneapolis to Chicago on the Mega Bus.

1. Earplugs are key to keeping your sanity. Since I got on bus at 7am this morning, I was still a bit sleepy. Others on the bus, however, seemed to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning and decided it would be a really great idea to talk loudly to each other and on the phone. Instead of getting upset, I just put in earplugs and drifted fast asleep.
2. Pretending to be asleep will allow you to have your own two seats on the bus. I know this isn’t the kindest thing to do, but I was tired and I’m tall, so I wanted to stretch my legs. When people would get on the bus, you just lay your head on the window and close your eyes. The rest is history.
3. Bring your computer, just in case the WiFi works. This was not the case for my bus ride, but the Mega Bus supposedly has WiFi. If you can get your computer connected this, this is great because you can get some work done. If not, you can just use your computer to play solitaire and be reminded on how not awesome your skills are.
4. Dress in layers. The temperature on the bus can range from really cold to really hot. Plus you can use your sweatshirt or jacket as a pillow. Really-it’s the best thing.

I hope that one day you can utilize these tips when you decide to ride the Mega Bus to Chicago.