When I wasn't burning near-zero calories, my friend and I would catch a bus to grab some dinner or explore the city a bit. If you have ever been on either bus R1 or R2 in Cancun, you, most likely, can conjure up memories of your life flashing before your eyes fairly quickly. Your heart may even stop as you flash back to trying to hold on for dear life as the bus slows from 70 km to 0 km in 5 seconds flat to pick up a random passenger.
If you have NOT had the chance to enjoy life on bus R1 or R2, I am happy to relive the experience (while keeping you safe) through analyzing how riding a Cancun presents lessons to reflect upon through the lens of an elementary principal.
Lesson #1:
Drivers will allow as many people as possible on the bus, filling it with passengers holding on to poles, standing on the front stairs and on others' laps while the bus is in motion.
This is an absolute test in patience. Having an ice cold margarita spilled on you from a man standing beside you while holding on to a pole and complaining about immigrants in his home country is the ultimate test in patience. Much like being a principal, there will be situation after situation that will test patience. The goal is too keep your cool. Like on this bus ride, I think to myself..."Ok, how much can I stand before I scream at this guy and knock the cup out of his hand?" Breathe in, breathe out. On the bus. While at school.
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| Armpits fo' days. |
Bus drivers can stop (and will stop) as often as passengers wave it down. No need for bus stops in Cancun. Nope. Just an arm wave from the sidewalk will do. This can turn a 2 mile drive into a 45 minute adventure.
But we're all headed in the same direction, right? As a school staff, we have an end goal in mind: creating an awesome place for students to engage in learning and build the skills needed to be successful in life, no matter the path they choose. But there are many stops along the way, right? Mandates from the state and district, new passengers that we need to catch up to speed, new students entering our school, etc. If we can keep our eye on the end game, the bus ride can be more enjoyable as we head to our common destination.
Lesson #3:
Playing loud reggaeton is preferred on the majority of buses.
And why not? It sounds like a party. Music makes everything better. Play more music!
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| When in Cancun... |
Lesson #4:
Buses are full of interesting people from different cultures, backgrounds, interests, etc. In one given bus ride, the following people shared my bus riding experience with me: tired workers just coming off their shifts at hotels, drunk friends on their way to Senor Frogs, a couple who appeared to be on one of their first dates, an American family of 5, consisting of 3 pre-teens who did not appreciate their parents' sense of humor.
See Lesson 2.
