Thursday, July 4, 2013

Stars and Stripes Forever


Good Morning and Happy Independence Day!

I can't even believe it's Thursday! This trip is flying by, both literally (as I am looking out the window from my train bed) and figuratively. This is a really nice way to travel if you have the time. It's so relaxing, as you don't have to worry about anything at all! Which is not to say that you don't have to think about what you're doing, you are, after all, on a moving train. The bruises on my arms from being slammed into the doors or walls while walking through the doors that connect the cars without holding on are proof of that.

Last night was interesting. I think some people are getting a little feverish...cabin fever, that is. There was a big scuffle on board with conductors racing down to the sleeper cars. It turns out someone had smoked in the bathroom, which is a BIG no-no on one of these trains, and can get you thrown off at the next stop. Shortly after this, there was an announcement over the intercom reminding people that there is no smoking on the train, and that the ventilation system carries the smoke throughout the train and it's not good for people with health problems, and on and on. They were very stern about the fact that you can get booted right off the train! Not 30 seconds after this announcement was made, the conductor came back over the intercom to let everybody know that since we were running a little behind schedule, there would be no smoke breaks until Salt Lake City...7 hours later. This cracked me up. It almost felt like one of those classrooms where the whole class is given a consequence because of the actions of one person.

I had dinner with all the people in my sleeper hallway last night. There are a bunch of people traveling alone down here, and they put all the singles together for dinner. Our train car attendant, Nathan, walked by our table, gave us one look and said, "Ooh, now that table is trouble!" He loves us! We swapped stories about life and why we were on the train as is often the case with everybody you meet on the train. When they found out that I am a very nervous flier, they all chimed in on why they haven't flown in X amount of years. One of them, a 19 year old man/boy  from California that is studying abroad in England took a transatlantic cruise (or boat as he called it), and now the train. All to avoid flying. They all had stories about horrible experiences on planes to share with me. Another of my companions, John,  suggested that I make fast friends with my seat mate and see if we can hold hands for take off. He was totally serious! He also said that he totally understood why I didn't like to fly, "I mean, you are totally letting go and letting someone else (the pilot and the big G) decide if you are going to live or die!" Thanks for that, pal.

My last new friend at the table, Mike, reminded me of what my Uncle Harry may be like today if he hadn't passed away so long ago. Two of the men had been in the military, and it was interesting to hear them talk about their experiences.

In other news, I tried reading again last night while laying propped up on pillows on my stomach, on my bed. I had the door and the curtain open, so anyone could see right in. I think I started reading, but the next thing I knew Nathan, the car attendant was calling my name. "Michelle? Michelle? You going to bed now girl?" Oops! I got up and moved around, as I wanted to get out at Salt Lake City for a breath of fresh air. We weren't due in to SLC until 11pm, so I had a few minutes. There was more conversation with Mike in the hallway where he informed me that I was Passed out on my bed a little while ago (thanks for the news flash) and that he was going to close my door for me if I was still sleeping after Salt Lake...

Scenic view of Salt Lake City....


I was so sad that last night was my last on the Zephyr. I am loving it! I have not smiled and laughed so much in recent memory. Another thing I realized is that I haven't sworn in something like 4 days, which is a clear indicator of how relaxed I am. Usually, (at least in my brain) my inner sailor has something to say about everything! Did I mention that I LOVE this?? The harsh reality is that I have to fly later on today (unless we are really late....which we are right now...).

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