May 10th, 2023
Days 1&2
A first full day of train travel! (Also, first blog post, so writing this is weird). Leaving the station yesterday felt strange, especially since I won't see my apartment for the next 21 days. I had such an intense feeling that I forgot something, a feeling which I still have now. Perhaps it's because I left my poor cat behind. She gets so lonely without me, so I worry about her constantly. Luckily she has someone taking care of her for the next few days before my parents return to watch her for a while. Departing from Union Station was such a pleasant experience. Aside from the tennis game(?) taking up half of the main hall, everything was quick and easy and felt nothing like the stress of traveling on an airplane. The only issue I had was the concerning weight of my backpack. After realizing that buying food on the train would be more manageable, I removed a ton of meals I had packed away. The beginning of the trip was so fast I didn't even realize that we started moving until what felt like a minute after we boarded. I looked out the window to see everything moving away from the dark platform.
A first full day of train travel! (Also, first blog post, so writing this is weird). Leaving the station yesterday felt strange, especially since I won't see my apartment for the next 21 days. I had such an intense feeling that I forgot something, a feeling which I still have now. Perhaps it's because I left my poor cat behind. She gets so lonely without me, so I worry about her constantly. Luckily she has someone taking care of her for the next few days before my parents return to watch her for a while. Departing from Union Station was such a pleasant experience. Aside from the tennis game(?) taking up half of the main hall, everything was quick and easy and felt nothing like the stress of traveling on an airplane. The only issue I had was the concerning weight of my backpack. After realizing that buying food on the train would be more manageable, I removed a ton of meals I had packed away. The beginning of the trip was so fast I didn't even realize that we started moving until what felt like a minute after we boarded. I looked out the window to see everything moving away from the dark platform.
First Breakfast on the Train
The first night was very uneventful. I was surprised by how quickly we had gotten to Milwaukee. My parents and I played a few rounds of cribbage with dinner in the lounge car before moving to our seats to sleep. It was a difficult situation to get used to. Still, I got a few hours of sleep and felt rested, waking up at 5:30. I remember falling asleep around midnight as we traveled between St. Paul and Minneapolis. I particularly remember the train pulling into an abandoned station and cutting all power except the lights around midnight. In conjunction with the man who was loudly snoring across the aisle from me, the man who was having an entire conversation on his phone, the chatting ladies, and an odd beeping alarm, falling asleep was quite tricky. But I managed to get a few hours. Unfortunately for me and the rest of the passengers, the man loudly snoring across the aisle slept very well and continued his snoring for most of the next day. I don't know how he did that.
The first night was very uneventful. I was surprised by how quickly we had gotten to Milwaukee. My parents and I played a few rounds of cribbage with dinner in the lounge car before moving to our seats to sleep. It was a difficult situation to get used to. Still, I got a few hours of sleep and felt rested, waking up at 5:30. I remember falling asleep around midnight as we traveled between St. Paul and Minneapolis. I particularly remember the train pulling into an abandoned station and cutting all power except the lights around midnight. In conjunction with the man who was loudly snoring across the aisle from me, the man who was having an entire conversation on his phone, the chatting ladies, and an odd beeping alarm, falling asleep was quite tricky. But I managed to get a few hours. Unfortunately for me and the rest of the passengers, the man loudly snoring across the aisle slept very well and continued his snoring for most of the next day. I don't know how he did that.
Waking up, I got to have my first attempt at hygiene on the train. While I used a dry shampoo, the thing I was most worried about concerning cleaning myself was driving me insane. My scalp gets unbearably itchy whenever I don't thoroughly wash my hair in the morning. I have no idea why, but I can feel it right now as I type. It sucks. Luckily, we should arrive at Whitefish in a few hours, and I will have access to a proper shower. Aside from that, living on the train has been ok so far. My parents and I had granola and coffee for breakfast. I spent most of my day updating my LinkedIn page and finishing up work I had started the night before to submit the last requirements for my internship.
Waking up, I got to have my first attempt at hygiene on the train. While I used a dry shampoo, the thing I was most worried about concerning cleaning myself was driving me insane. My scalp gets unbearably itchy whenever I don't thoroughly wash my hair in the morning. I have no idea why, but I can feel it right now as I type. It sucks. Luckily, we should arrive at Whitefish in a few hours, and I will have access to a proper shower. Aside from that, living on the train has been ok so far. My parents and I had granola and coffee for breakfast. I spent most of my day updating my LinkedIn page and finishing up work I had started the night before to submit the last requirements for my internship.
My Dad and I Outside at the Rest Stop
My parents and I had a delicious lunch of chips and guacamole before we had a chance to stretch during a refueling stop. We had thirty minutes there, so I had a chance to get off and get up close to the engine. Besides that, most of the day was marked by endless fields of flat land with the occasional hill range or mountain in the distance. Towns and farms also dotted the landscape, and I had a hard time understanding how people could live this isolated. I know I would be driven insane if I lived out in the countryside like this. For dinner, my mom had packed Thanksgiving in a bag containing stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, instant gravy, and bread. It was super delicious!
My parents and I had a delicious lunch of chips and guacamole before we had a chance to stretch during a refueling stop. We had thirty minutes there, so I had a chance to get off and get up close to the engine. Besides that, most of the day was marked by endless fields of flat land with the occasional hill range or mountain in the distance. Towns and farms also dotted the landscape, and I had a hard time understanding how people could live this isolated. I know I would be driven insane if I lived out in the countryside like this. For dinner, my mom had packed Thanksgiving in a bag containing stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, instant gravy, and bread. It was super delicious!
Thanksgiving in a Bag
Dinner!
As I continue on this trip, I can't help but get more excited for the trip ahead. Traveling overnight on Amtrak is such a neat experience, and I've got many more legs of this trip ahead to enjoy it. It's so much more relaxed and easygoing than expected, which is a good thing. In a few more hours, we will be traveling through the mountains and zipping past Glacier Park to soon deboard the train at Whitefish. I can't wait to be able to shower again. However, my time in Whitefish will be the last two days with my parents before they head back to Chicago and fly out a few days before I return from the rest of my trip. It is always sad to see them go, and from that point onwards, I will be continuing this journey all on my own.
As I continue on this trip, I can't help but get more excited for the trip ahead. Traveling overnight on Amtrak is such a neat experience, and I've got many more legs of this trip ahead to enjoy it. It's so much more relaxed and easygoing than expected, which is a good thing. In a few more hours, we will be traveling through the mountains and zipping past Glacier Park to soon deboard the train at Whitefish. I can't wait to be able to shower again. However, my time in Whitefish will be the last two days with my parents before they head back to Chicago and fly out a few days before I return from the rest of my trip. It is always sad to see them go, and from that point onwards, I will be continuing this journey all on my own.
Pictures of the Empire Builder (Amtrak 7&27)
Pictures of the Empire Builder (Amtrak 7&27)
