The Bus - Metaphor

As her tour ground on, my Faithful Reader became increasingly discouraged and weary of the constant proximity of the war's aftermath. Canadian peacekeepers' tours lasted about 8 months. That's a long time to keep seeing the senseless damage that had been done and to realize the hatred and cruelty were still there, just waiting to flare up again. That's a long time to know most of the killers would go unpunished. Finally, you just want it to be your turn to go home.
Why 'The Bus'? The Bus is a metaphor for waiting. We all wait for something – change, celebration, adventure, inspiration. The passage of time, love. We wait for good or bad things to end or start. Sometimes we wait for a miracle.

And then it was my turn.  
As the day approached it was business as usual, but it felt different. I packed those many months into my barrack box and said goodbye to friends from different nations who had made it bearable.  We all knew we would likely never see each other again but no one mentioned it. 
The day came after 232 days “in theatre” as we called it. The bus was waiting. A big olive drab green Mercedes bus with SFOR [Stabilization Force] in bold white letters on the side.
After all the anticipation though, I simply walked up to the bus, along with 10 or so other Canadians, climbed the few steps, chose my seat and sat down. That was it. We were all quiet. No cheers or euphoria just that nagging all-consuming sobriety. No balloons fell from the sky. 
Since that day I have often been waiting for that bus again. Something I’ve been looking forward to, anticipating, then one day it just happens.  We’re all waiting for something.