I'd picked a location as far away from Texas as I could get, and one that I thought would be the opposite from anything I'd ever known. Ultimately, I had narrowed it down to Los Angeles or New York City. In the end, I picked the one that took the longest to reach. It gave me more time to figure out a plan and more days on a bus, which saved money on hotels.
By the time I got into my seat, the day had exhausted me, and I couldn't keep my eyes open. I slept through the night and woke to a guy leaned on my shoulder, drooling. My effort to get him off gently proved fruitless, and I finally shook his arm. He woke slowly and, eventually, wiped the saliva from his mouth.
I offered him a polite smile, even though we hadn't exchanged any words. It was too much to ask to have an empty seat next
