Bus Writing to Connecticut

I was on a bus trip from Minneapolis to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and back from Thursday afternoon to Sunday night with Minnesota Brass. Here we are in the full retreat portion of the show we were in Saturday night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To say it was a long bus ride each way is an understatement. I had lofty plans of doing tons of writing, because, hey, you’re stuck sitting there for 24+ hours each way.

But I forgot that you get sore from sleeping on the uncushioned metal bus floor with?just a Snuggie for a blanket, you’re groggy all’day from lack of sleep, and you end up with so many bags and piles of stuff crammed around your seat that it’s hard to really do anything.

Still, I’m happy that I got some poetry writing done. On the way there, I wrote 6 or 7 very rough drafts of short poems longhand on the bus. Those are for a current project that I’m excited about but uncertain whether?it will work out.?I snuck in about an hour on a long story poem for an assessment project in my dorm room in Connecticut on Saturday morning, using my handy dandy portable keyboard and iPhone. And then on the ride home,?I jotted rough drafts of another poem for that assessment project plus 6 rough drafts of short poems for an e‑thology.

It’s not quite as much as I hoped to do, but it’s a lot more than I would have done if I hadn’t brought my notes and keyboard and notebook along. One of those “shoot for the moon but be glad if you just reach a fairly high branch in the oak tree” deals.

8 Responses

  1. Marathon bus riding is a sport best left to the school age set, I think! Glad you were able to do some writing despite the conditions, and hope you had some fun at the show!

    1. Yeah, the college-age kids definitely are built better for it. I get so antsy just sitting there, and I can’t get comfy to sleep. But…it’s still an unusual and memorable experience, so I’m happy to do it. And happy to be home! We had a great show and can’t wait to make our show even better. The show came out better than my rough drafts, in fact. I’m sure I’ll see that as I go to revise some later today:>) But there might be a kernel or two of something good in there somewhere!

  2. Marathon bus riding is a sport best left to the school age set, I think! Glad you were able to do some writing despite the conditions, and hope you had some fun at the show!

    1. Yeah, the college-age kids definitely are built better for it. I get so antsy just sitting there, and I can’t get comfy to sleep. But…it’s still an unusual and memorable experience, so I’m happy to do it. And happy to be home! We had a great show and can’t wait to make our show even better. The show came out better than my rough drafts, in fact. I’m sure I’ll see that as I go to revise some later today:>) But there might be a kernel or two of something good in there somewhere!

  3. That does not sound confortable. I think you did a great job with all those poems. Love the picture!

    1. Thanks, Catherine–Everything about drum corps has expanded my comfort zone, that’s for sure. I appreciate the encouragement:>)

  4. That does not sound confortable. I think you did a great job with all those poems. Love the picture!

    1. Thanks, Catherine–Everything about drum corps has expanded my comfort zone, that’s for sure. I appreciate the encouragement:>)

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 2,499 other subscribers

Are You Looking For?

Poetry Friday posts

Classroom Connections posts

All my poetryactions

Go to my Poetry page for:

  • National Poetry Month projects through the years
  • Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
  • Introductions to several favorite poetry forms
Tags
#waterpoemproject15 Words or Less Poems20for2030 Painless Classroom Poems50 State Poemsacrosticsactivity pagesactivity sheetALAA Leaf Can Be...Amy Ludwig VanDerwaterA Need to FeedanthologiesanthologyA Rock Can Be...art projectsaudiopoemsawardsbad newsBarbara Juster EsbensenBilly Collinsbiopoemsblog tourbookalikesbook festivalsBookSpeak!book spine poemsbook trailersbop poembyr a thoddaidcafepresscalendar poemsCamp Read-a-LotCan Be... bookscan be... poemsCapstoneCarol Varsalonacascade poemsCatherine FlynnCCRA.W.3CCRA.W.4CCRA.W.5centoschapter bookschoral compositionschristina rossetticinquainsCLAclassified ad poemsclassroom connectionclassroom connectionsClover Kittyconferences and conventionscrown sonnetscybilsdansaDare to DreamDavid Elliottdeeper wisdom poemdefinitosdiamantesdiversitydizaindodoitsuDot DayDouglas Floriandownloadablesdrum corpse.e. cummingsekphrastic poemsepistolary poemsequation poemsessentialethereeseventsexquisite corpseFairy Tale Garage Salefamilyfibonaccifiction picture booksfinding familyfirefightersforeign editionsfound poemsfree author zoomsfree versefrom studentsgeesegeorgia heardghazalGift Taggiveawaygolden shovelgoldilocksgratitudehaikuheart of aheart of a teacherHeidi MordhorstHelen FrostHighlightshow-to poemshow to make a rainbowI Am FromI Am poemsidiomsif you want to knit some mittensIf You Were the MoonILAimagepoemsinterviewin the middle of the nightIRAIrelandIrene LathamJ. Patrick LewisJanet WongJoyce SidmanKendraKerlanKidlit Comboslailaura's board booksLaura's booksLaura's poemsLaura's readingsLaura ShovanLee Bennett HopkinsLilian MoorelimericksLinda Booth SweeneyLion of the Skylist poemslittle free librarylive writingLullaby and Kisses Sweetlyricsmadness poetrymargaret simonMarilyn Singermary lee hahnmask poemsMeet My FamilyMelissa StewartMentors for Rentmentor textsmetaphorMichelle Myers LacknerMillbrookMinnesota Book Awardsmoonmy reading lifemy writing processN+7naaninarrative poemsNational Poetry Month 2012 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2014 (riddle-ku)National Poetry Month 2015National Poetry Month 2016National Poetry Month 2017 (#wonderbreak)national poetry month 2018 (haiku a day)National Poetry Month 2020National Poetry Month 2021 (#EquationPoem)national poetry month 2022 (sticky-note poems)National Poetry Month 2023 (Digging for Poems)ncteNerdy Book Clubnifty newsnifty stuffNikki Grimesnonfictionnonfiction booksNonfiction Writers Dig Deepnovelsnovels in verseodesOne Minute Till BedtimeoppositifyOskar's VoyagepadletpantoumsparodiesPatreonpeacepersonalpet poemsphotopoetryphrase acrosticspicture booksplagiarismpoempicspoemspoems for two voicespoemsketchpoetic pursuitsPoetry 7poetryactionspoetry activitiesPoetry Blastpoetry booksPoetry FridayPoetry Friday AnthologiesPoetry Princessespoetry promptspoetry sistersPoetry Tips for Teachersprogressive poempublishing processpuddle songPutridquotationsraccontinosRandy Salasread-aloudreadaloudreading poetry in the classroomRebecca Kai Dotlichrecipe poemsrefugeesresearchreviewsrevisionrhyming booksrhyming nonfictionrhyming picture booksRhyming Picture Books the Write Wayrhyming poemsRiddle-kuriddle poemsRock Can Be...Rock the Blogrondeau redoublesRudyard Kiplingsalas snippetsSCBWIschool visitsScotlandseasonssecrets of the loonSELsestinasshrinking daysskinnyskypeslice of lifesmall readssnack snooze skedaddlesnowman-coldsonnetsStampede!storm poemstorytimestorywalkstudent poemsstudent workSylvia VardellTanita Davistankatautogramteachableteacher resourcesteen/adult poemsterza rimasthankfulthank yous and referencesthe business sidethings to do iftracy nelson maurertrioletstunie munson-bensonvideosVikram MadanvillanellevillanellesWater Can Be...wealthy elementaryWe BelongWhat's InsideWhy-kuwinterwonderwonderbreakword of the yearwordplaywordsmithswork for hirewritingwriting bookswriting processwriting promptswriting the life poeticyoung authors conferencesYouTubeZap Clap Boomzenozentangle
Show More Show Less

Join Laura's monthly newsletter for eductators

Get three of Laura's favorite poetry activities when you subscribe to "Small Reads."