Ride to the station

This is already an experience. I thought I would leave my house with plenty of time to get to the station, take some photographs, and take care of some travel-related business. Instead, my friend picked me up at 3PM (my train was scheduled to leave at 3:40). My house is only 20 minutes from the Amtrak station, but we were stuck in traffic. 3:22PM and we were nowhere near the station. 3:28PM and we had only moved a few feet. 3:33, and we were stuck at a red light. 3:36 and we got lost for a bit. 3:40 we arrive at the station.

I am literally shaking in fear of missing my train. At the window, a lovely lady looks at me and placates my fears, “no worries…no worries. You’re all good. If I’m still here, the train’s gone nowhere. May I see your ID?” I wait for seconds that seem to turn into an eternity. “All right, the train will be here in about 15 minutes. Just go to Track Five.”

I know Amtrak has a reputation for not being on time, and unlike most passengers, I am thankful my train is late. Once the train arrives, I am assigned seat 17 (I did not know we were assigned seats; last time I traveled on Amtrak, I could sit anywhere I wanted…not this time. Thankfully, I am seated next to a lovely lady).

The Texas Eagle left at 5:02, heading to St. Louis.

Pictures of Dallas right before departure:

In Just a few Hours

My train departs in a few hours, and I am frantically trying to pack everything I will need for the next month. Anyone who knows me also knows I do not travel light. Even for a weekend I pack an entire suitcase: three pairs of shoes, about fifteen pairs of socks, three or four pairs of jeans, shorts, at least five shirts, and all the products I could possibly need. How am I going to fit all of this in one duffel bag? I have resigned myself to seven pairs of underwear, and ten pairs of socks (I am going away for a month). To top it all off, I realized last night I did not have the proper suitcase, a problem I luckily fixed with a short visit to a 24 hour store.

Everyone says traveling on a train carries with it a certain feel of romance and adventure. I am really wondering, though, whether traveling with a few pairs of underwear and socks is romantic and adventurous. I also wonder what I will do without Internet, as Amtrak has not reached the era of full modernization. Well, here I go off to St. Louis, where I arrive at 7AM tomorrow; I have no idea what I am doing once I get there, as I know no one in that city. Unfortunately, I will not be able to meet a familiar face until I reach Los Angeles on Sunday, where I will be staying with my high school friend, Grace, and where I will be able to shower after two-and-a-half days. In the meantime, I will resort to baby wipes, hand sanitizer, and cologne.