Colin and I
many times were on trains, which exceeded 8 hours in duration. To some people
this sounds like an idea of death, but to me its chump change. That’s nothing
compared to an 11-hour bus ride from Baltimore to Columbus, Ohio, which I completed
alone last fall. Or a 17-hour drive from Baltimore to Miami, which I completed
a little over a year ago. I live for traveling. Most people would probably
wonder what I did to “pass the time.” A few of the trains had Wi-Fi, but most
did not. My phone only worked with Wi-Fi, so many times on the train I was out
of touch with everything going on in the world, but I was actually experiencing
the world in a much realer way- looking out the window. From the solar panel fields
in Germany, to the Swiss lakes, to the Norwegian mountains and rivers, the
world was virtually tangible, and I had never experienced it like this.
When it was
dark out, I would read on my computer. I have all seven Harry Potter books
downloaded in PDF form on my computer. But most of the time was spent looking
out the window at the scenery. At points, I was so engaged with the scenery
that an hour would go by without even noticing it. At times, I would listen to
my iPod, but making sure to look out the window at the same time. A couple of
times I had to nap just because we had to get up very early for the trains but I’m
not a very good napper on moving vehicles- or in general really.
I know a
lot of people who would get antsy on a long train ride, but to me they are
peaceful. Most of the kids in the Loyola group flew to all their destinations
but I’d get sick of the airports. The flexibility with the train pass was
incredible, because if we missed one, there was most likely another coming
within the hour. I would definitely recommend taking the train if the
opportunity presents itself. Maybe I’m just weird and don’t mind spending half
a day in a confined vehicle, but I’m glad I don’t.
