UI grad student hits the road - and saves some cash

IOWA CITY - Deborah Yarchun visited her aunt and uncle in Boston this summer.

She saw some friends in Chicago and New York City, and spent some time in Ohio, too.

The University of Iowa graduate student was on the road for 30 days, yet managed to spend $100 less than she would have had she stayed in Iowa City.

Impossible? Not if you plan, plan and plan some more.

Yarchun booked her travel at Megabus.com, purchasing her tickets early enough to make paying for her trip only $69.50. She then used Couchsurfing.org for housing and explored websites to find cheap - or free - events to keep her occupied while at each city.

“I didn't have any expectations and I think that's what made it such a joyous experience,” Yarchun, 25, says.

A playwright in her second year in the UI's master of fine arts program, Yarchun's first year in Iowa City was the first time she had lived alone. She also chose not to get the Internet at her apartment to save her from distractions while working.

Those decisions, and the solitude, ultimately led to her signing up to be a host at Couchsurfing.org. Many of her house-guests traveled using Megabus.com.

“I made some great connections that way,” Yarchun says. “It made me open to their way of travel.”

Knowing she wanted to spend a few days with relatives in Boston, Yarchun sat with her computer at the Iowa City Public Library to plot her own megabus.com trip. Pages of notes later, she narrowed her trip to seven cities: Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, New York City and Columbus.

Technically, she made two stops in Pittsburgh - one on her way to the East Coast and again on her way back to Iowa City.

With her route planned and her trip booked, housing was next. Yarchun stayed in 14 homes on her trip.

“Nine of them were friends I knew in advance, four hosted me through couchsurfing.org and one was a friend of a friend,” Yarchun says.

Then it was time to scour the Web for events and activities. Yarchun knew there were plays she wanted to see, so she contacted the theaters to sign up as a volunteer usher. The gig translated into a free ticket to the performance. She enjoyed the street performances and live music the cities had to offer, and made use of free admission events at various museums.

“I didn't have a budget,” Yarchun says. “I was frugal and careful, but not tightfisted.”

She also managed to connect with hosts eager to show off their city.

“Part of me expected to sit in coffee shops, writing, but I had hosts who wanted to take me places,” Yarchun says.

Their connections led to some great experiences. In Chicago, she got to tag along on a Seadog Cruise of the city's architecture. She stayed with puppeteer playwrights in Pittsburgh who introduced her to the Mattress Factory Art Museum, a museum filled with installation works.

“I discovered that it's not so much the place as it is the people showing me the place that makes the experience,” Yarchun says.

In some instances those experiences conflicted with the plans she had plotted in Iowa City, but Yarchun embraced what was put before her.

“I think the secret is to know your options, but be open to possibilities,” she says. “Follow your whims, your impulses.”

For example, Yarchun planned to board the megabus and blog about her trip all the way to Chicago. Instead, she talked with another passenger and the pair ended up sightseeing in the Windy City together.

“Give your time to someone,” she says. “You never know what you'll learn, what you'll take away from that conversation.”

Yarchun returned to Iowa City on Aug. 10. She traveled nearly 3,000 miles and spent 60 hours on buses. Pieces of her journey, and the conversations she had, have made their way into her plays. The experience itself is something she won't forget.

“When you step away from your life for a month, you come back a different person,” Yarchun says.

As for the leftover $100, Yarchun plans to open a Roth IRA.

“I read a finance book on the bus,” she laughs. “I had a lot of time to reflect on my financial future.”

Megabus.com is the first, low-cost, express bus service to offer city-to-city travel for as low as $1 via the Internet.

Since launching in April 2006, Megabus.com has served more than 7 million passengers throughout nearly 50 major cities in the Midwest and Northeast of the U.S. and Canada.

To read about Deborah Yarchun's Megabus.com experience, visit her blog at

Thegreatmegabusadventure.blogspot.com