Now anyone who know me knows that I LOVE public transportation. In fact that is one of the major contributing factors to why I do not have a license/car. I have always envisioned myself living in a city where I can rely upon public transportation so why bother?
Well, in the past this meant I have been reliant upon the metro and buses. But no more! I have discovered the beauty of Amtrack!
So, in moving to DC for the summer (College Park, MD actually but its right outside so hush!) I needed to find a way to get there. My mind obviously went to planes as that has been my major form of transportation for long distance travel in the past and I knew the route to DC well as I have flown it many times in the past both as a final destination and as a transfer point.
As such, I know the airports VERY well and have preferences and means of transportation out of them all once I get there (Well except Dulles because it’s SO far away! ).
Nonetheless, I realized that having to be financially responsible for the summer as I have a room to pay for I could not afford the steep price of a ticket to DC from Greeneville or from Charlotte, the two airports servicing my area. So I was in a dilemma....
Then I remembered an off-hand comment from my friend Emily. She told me (in a child-live fervor) “You can take the train!”. And so I had my other option, the train. And after looking at the prices, I found them reasonable enough (I mean, I am a poor college student afterall!).
So, I decided to “take the train!” Which thus far (Its been an hour and a half) has been a good idea. While it is a relatively long time (10.5 hours) I also find it really relaxing. It feels like I’m riding a plane with light turbulence very slowly along the ground.
Yea, I guess that’s the best way to describe it. But really, it’s quite fun. There is just some strange nostalgic feeling riding a passenger train along to the nation’s capital.
I cannot feel a strange connection to the Foreign diplomats who arrived in NYC only to be ushered to San Francisco by train through our nation (in a wonderful display of the power aspect of hegemony) to sign the United Nations into law.
It’s so nice to just know I am completely fine riding along on this train through our nation. And oddly, I feel a tinge of nationalism stirring inside of me knowing that I am doing something that is so steeped in American history and tradition while at the same time traveling through the country...all to the nation’s capital! So yea, I guess I have a reason for this nationalistic feeling.....
And more than that, it makes me feel like Chojiro/Sen from Spirited Away...most def one of my top five movies of all time. : D
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