You Ain't Going Nowhere

At least not today...

I am supposed to be on a train right now, an hour into my three day cross-country trek. However.

Because of the flooding in Iowa, the train will only go as far as Denver, and then you can take a motorcoach (a bus with a fancy name so you don't feel like you're being cheated for not being on a train) to Omaha. Though my geography is shaky, I am confident that Omaha is not Chicago. Really not close at all. And Chicago is where we catch the train to Pittsburgh, which is where we catch the train to Johnstown. Sooo... no train.

I do not blame Amtrak for the flooding. I do blame them for not contacting me. I contacted them at 5 pm last night, because the information posted on the website is insanely unclear. Which is why I had to wait on hold for 15 minutes, because everyone else has to call in to figure out if they can actually take their trip or not. 

So now we are taking a red-eye flight Thursday night, and I will get ample opportunity to remember all the reasons I HATE planes, airports, and flying. Grrr.

Eco-Friendly Travel to Gathering

A couple of months ago, Robin M. had a post at What Canst Thou Say regarding balancing traveling in the ministry with striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I've been thinking since then of how our monthly and yearly meetings might support us with such challenges. This is why I was excited to receive the announcement from Friends General Conference announcing the link for eco-friendly travel to this year's Gathering (June 28-July 5, Johnstown, Pennsylvania). Go here to indicate interest and get more information on a Quaker train, bus, bike trip, or carpool. One of the things I have always admired and appreciated about Gathering is how helpful they are with travel arrangements for those of us who fly across country to be at Gathering. I am so pleased to see more eco-friendly forms of travel get this same loving attention.

This all has me wondering anew what our monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings might do. What if meetings offered to pay whatever extra it might cost to take the train (for sleeping accommodations, for childcare for extra days away from home)? What if those traveling in the ministry only flew one direction, instead of both? What if we paid for carbon offsets for those who simply can't see their way clear to travel any other way but by airplane? What if Quaker employers allowed their employees the time off to take the bus or the train instead of a plane?

There is tremendous value to traveling among Friends, both for those called to ministry and for those of us simply called to fellowship. We need to talk with one another, worship together, play together. Our meetings do not thrive in isolation and the provincialism that can result from such isolation. Since there is such value to our gathering as Friends, shouldn't our meetings labor to support means of travel that allow us to live more fully our testimonies?

It's good to be home...I think

I'm finally home, after 3 weeks away. I've visited 5 states and traveled through several more; attended FGC Gathering, 2 local singings and two all-day singings; and done lots of sight seeing in the Twin Cities and Chicago. All of this was by train: Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Carl Sandburg, and the Wolverine. With few exceptions, I encountered lovely weather and lovelier people.

The cat was relatively sane when I arrived home: she meowed plaintively, but she didn't hiss at me once. Now she meows rather frantically if I leave the room for more than five minutes, but other than that, she's back to normal. She has managed to cover the entire house with her fur.

On the positive side, my mountain of mail included a birthday present of homemade cards from my Aunt; a card from Anna, a young friend from Gathering; a postcard from Catherine L., whom I just missed in the Twin Cities; and the knitting needles that I lent Kendra at Gathering (she wanted a pair so that she could teach her son how to knit on the train ride back).

I'm pretty tired, and not entirely ready to be back to the everyday joys of paying bills, working for a living, washing dishes and cleaning the house. I was definitely ready to not be in motion for a while, so being awakened by the 4 point something earthquake at 4:40 this morning seemed rather unwelcoming. The cat was not amused, either. Clearly, I'm not in the Midwest anymore.

I have grandiose plans for a series of posts about my travels. We'll see how that goes.

Reasons to take the Train

I've resolved to take the train when traveling instead of flying, especially when I'm traveling on winter or summer break. Here's why it's no sacrifice:

• No one pats you down, paws through your belongings, or makes you take off your shoes when you get off the train.



• I can take my knitting needles and scissors and no one cares.



• I sleep well on a train (at least in a sleeper). I don't even sleep well at home, so this is a big deal.



• I can see where I am. Often the scenery is beautiful, and even when it's not, it's usually at least interesting.



• No middle seats. I can knit without continuously bumping the person next to me.



• Good food in the dining car and/or less strict baggage limits mean you can take a cooler with your favorite food.



• You meet interesting people in the observation car and over meals, but you aren't trapped next to them for hours on end like on a plane.



• Wine and cheese tasting for sleeper car passengers-- and no one has to be the designated driver!



• You can walk around.



• It's less noisy than planes or buses, and less motion-sickness inducing.



• Train stations are generally less chaotic than airports.



• Enforced relaxation: no chores, no work, nothing to do but read, visit, eat, sleep, listen to music, and watch the world go by.