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Riding The Train: That's How I Roll: My Experience Crossing Half The United States of America On Amtrak Kindle Edition
After my ninety-two hour Amtrak trip, I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I did learn some things I wish I would have known before I climbed aboard.
I enjoyed the chance to slow down and see the country. Amtrak is not the most efficient mode of travel, but I would say that getting there is half the fun when you go across North America by train. The view from the Observation Car was beautiful, the seats comfortable, the security less invasive than at the airport, and the cost of bringing a couple of bags is free. I met new friends along the journey. We had meaningful conversations about God, and life, and plans. We shared meals and laughter, and even did some sight-seeing together - exploring the Alamo and the River Walk in downtown San Antonio while our train was stopped well after dark.
Before I left for my trip, I was wondering about how to pack - what to bring, what not to bring, and what to expect. This is my guide to how to save money, be comfortable, and stay safe. I enjoy packing light and finding ways to be frugal, so I share some of those minimalist tips in this eBook, along with thoughts for traveling with children. This is the book that I wish I'd read before I got on the train. I was unfamiliar with travel by rail before, and this would have answered some of my questions and put my mind more at ease.
I had a lot of uninterrupted time while I was riding the train. I climbed aboard armed with a stack of reading materials that I wanted to tackle and for many hours had my nose buried in my books. At one point, an older man nearby made me pause by saying, "Excuse me, Miss. I don't mean to interrupt you, but we are about to pass through some of the prettiest parts of the country. I noticed you were wrapped up in your work. You might just want to look up now and again, or you'll miss it."
I thanked him, and thought, "Is he referring to this moment, or to my life in general?" Probably that moment, but it was one of those times when you know a statement is for your life. Sometimes I can get so wrapped up in my to-do lists, that I miss the most beautiful parts of life. I closed my book - and looked. At the canyons. At the cows. At the grass. At the big, blue, outstretched, glorious sky. At the beauty. There was much to see.
You can get a lot done while riding the train, but if you take the time, you can also see a lot and have time to think. Taking the train may not be the fastest way to get from point A to point B, but sometimes the fastest way isn't the best way.
Sometimes the most beautiful places can only be observed from the window of a slow moving train. My hope is that you'll peruse these pages and be better prepared to go on your own slow moving adventure across the varied scenes of the United States.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateMarch 21, 2020
- File size1753 KB
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Product details
- ASIN : B08681K2CT
- Publisher : Plasticback Books; 1st edition (March 21, 2020)
- Publication date : March 21, 2020
- Language : English
- File size : 1753 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 62 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,437,164 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #83 in Rail Travel
- #87 in Mass Transit (Kindle Store)
- #279 in Mass Transit (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Like most people, I learned to talk before I learned to type, but words have always flowed from my fingers more easily than from my mouth. I've been scribbling stories in my head all my life - mainly for my own entertainment, since my To Do List was always too full to do anything with my piles of prose.
Then life changed. Disease, death and divorce came upon one friend or family member after another. I had asked the LORD to allow me to be useful. He took me at my word, and overnight I ended up living outside the box by living out of packing cubes, crisscrossing the country from one crisis to the next.
My routine was stripped away along with any possessions that couldn't fit in an American Airlines approved purse and personal item. This year has reminded me of an excerpt from my experience on Amtrak:
"I had a lot of uninterrupted time while I was riding the train. I climbed aboard armed with a stack of reading materials that I wanted to tackle. An older man nearby caused me to look up when he said, "Excuse me, Miss. I don't mean to interrupt you, but we are about to pass through some of the prettiest parts of the country. I noticed you were wrapped up in your work. You might just want to look up now and again, or you'll miss it."
I thanked him, and thought, "Is he referring to this moment, or to my life in general?" Probably that moment, but it was one of those times when you know a statement is for your life.
Sometimes I can get so wrapped up in my to-do lists, that I miss the most beautiful parts of life.
I closed my book - and looked. At the canyons. At the cows. At the grass. At the big, blue, outstretched, glorious sky. At the beauty. There was much to see.
You can get a lot done while riding the train, but if you take the time, you can also see a lot. Taking the train may not be the fastest way to get from point A to point B, but sometimes the fastest way isn't the best way. Sometimes the most beautiful places can only be observed from the window of a slow moving train."
Life has been crazy this year, but it has been a slow crazy. Sickness, death and sadness can take a long time, but I have learned that there is beauty even in the midst of grief - and very often, laughter in tears.
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