Train Travels

It's always slightly scary leaving home and going to a completely new place. I mean to be honest, I was very nervous for this trip. I mean I was excited, but nervous too. I was panicking right before I was getting picked up. I felt like I was forgetting everything, when in reality I re-checked my bags like four times to made sure I had everything. I even made a checklist to make sure I had everything. When it comes to trains or airports, I get very bad anxiety. You wouldn't be able to tell if you saw me, but trust me... the anxiety is real. I carpooled with a couple of classmates to the train station in Champaign. The ride itself to the train station was not bad at all. It's nice considering it's a straight shot to Champaign on the expressway. The only unsettling part of the trip was when we got to the train station and got out of the car. It was so cold! I made the mistake of not wearing my winter jacket, but just a sweater to the station, which I definitely paid for that. The walk to the actual train station from the car wasn't too bad though. I would recommend not walking there by yourself at night for safety reasons. It was nice being there so early though, so we could get situated and have time to relax before hopping on the train.

The Champaign train station was quite nice. There weren't too many people waiting for this train. There was a cute Amish couple who sat a few seats from me. The woman was wearing a ring, so I am assuming they are married. They were very kind people and mindful of those around them. They mostly kept to themselves, but conversed with a black man sitting across from them. I made eye contact with the Amish couple a few times and they shared a friendly smile with me. I would have liked to have a conversation with them, asking where they are heading to. I think it's kind of fun sitting in a train station or airport and looking at people and thinking of where they are headed to and why. Do they have relatives there? Is it a vacation? Have they been there before? The couple each had a duffel bag. I thought about how long were they planning to stay down there or wherever their destination was. On the train, I have seen them a few times, but I have not seen them for some time, so I am assuming they departed. There was the black man who sat across from the Amish couple. He spoke briefly with the Amish man. He was wearing grey sweatpants and only carried a small bag with him that looked like it only fit a few clothes and personal items. To be exact, it was about half the size of the duffel bags that the Amish couple had. He is currently sitting across from me on the train. We have made eye contact a couple times and he returns a friendly smile. That was near the beginning of the train ride. Speaking of this train ride, it has seemed to fly by.

To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the train leaving so late. I highly recommend to those who take this train time to not get much rest the previous night and stay up the next day without naps as well. When you get on the train, you might just pass out like I did! I literally sat down and once my head hit the pillow, I was out. I woke up a few times in the night, but drifted back to sleep shortly after. The seats were comfy and they laid down to a reclining position, but not completely flat. They had a leg and foot rest, which was convenient and took some pressure off my feet. For the purpose of this trip, I didn't mind the recliner seats, but if I go with my family a different time (which I plan to), I will upgrade to have a room with an actual bed.

I did not have too much trouble sleeping on this train, but mostly just woke up to readjust myself. As I said a little bit ago, I did wake up a couple times in the night, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world. It's definitely an adjustment sleeping in a reclining chair for a nights rest on a moving train. While I slept, I put my headphones in to block out the noise of the train and those around me. At one point in the night, I woke up and took out my headphones. Thankfully, there were no snorers in my train car. It was nice and quiet, except for the bumping and swaying of the train car. The train itself is a smooth ride though. They had the lights off and only dim ones to allow those passing through the aisle to see where they were going. The windows have optional curtains to close, but I didn't need to because it was already so dark as it is. I slept next to the window and my classmate slept by the aisle. The heater next to me had a burnt smell to it, but I eventually stopped noticing it after a while.

The closer we get to New Orleans, the more anxious I get. The city of New Orleans is so different from what I know. We watched the video of it in class yesterday, but there's nothing like experiencing it in person. I think this train ride experience helped me get a bit of a feel for the poverty down here. There are some areas like Jackson, that are so poor and it's pretty sad. It's hard for me to imagine that people live the way they do down here. I mean not everyone lives that way down here, but when you see it, it is hard to put that memory away. I think this trip has already made me more appreciative for what I have. I have really enjoyed this train ride and it has helped me appreciate what I have. Some of the people I have already encountered here on the train may be natives to New Orleans. It is always smart to be cautious of what you say around them while you're talking about it. I think just by saying that, being cautious of what you say is me recognizing that I am out of my element. When we get to New Orleans, I am tucking my headphones away because I want to hear everything while I am down there. I want to take in absolutely everything I can. I'm so excited!!!