RAILS TO THE WEST

I am not one to travel a lot. I think the cost of transportation and housing has always been my excuse, and I've always been baffled by folks who say it's so cheap. They usually try to convince me by explaining how you can find deals and get a round trip ticket to France for $400 or something, but I usually don't have $400 extra dollars lying about. It could be that I'm not allowing myself enough time and peace of mind. I'm so generally lazy that I haven't earned enough credits to deserve a vacation- that's how I see it at least. As I've explored public transportation more recently, and ventured to Santa Barbara via airplane last summer, I am slowly acquiring a taste for travel. I love taking long train rides above all else! This week I will be taking Amtrak trains to and from Western Pennsylvania to visit my Mother, Father, and Sister. This journey is a 5 hour trip that would typically be almost 8 hours of torture on a bus. The train is peaceful in that old fashioned way. The cabin is relatively quiet, but I can still hear the click clack of the tracks. Electrical outlets along the walls are one of the more modern commodities of the train and allow a power source for my computer so I can watch a movie (or two!) or listen to music. Not to mention the view of passing Pennsylvanian landscapes goes nicely with any music in my headphones. Some classical styled Max Richter harmonizing visually with swaying fields of grain, or some jagged industrial beats by Pan Sonic kick the remaining boards from a barely standing barn wall before I vanish into a rocky ageless tunnel. Finally, I will reach my family, who remain tucked amongst this expansive country scenery, for a much needed escape from the city. And, damn it, I deserve it!