Goooooood morning! I woke up in the Rockies of Montana, which means I slept through Idaho. Sad times, but it still counts! I brushed my teeth, changed my clothes, so now it is up to the observation car I go!
I overheard someone say, “We should try to see the world more often.” Yes, yes you should. 🙂
I know it is only the third day, but being on a train seems natural already. It’s my new reality, at least for now, and I am totally okay with this. I highly recommend a long train trip to everyone, even if it is not all the way around the country.
I should brush my hair. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as it was after horseback riding in Iceland, but I know it will still be painful. I have learned my lesson and will probably keep my hair in braids for the rest of the trip.
There will probably be no cell service for the majority of this trip since the train goes through the mountains in the north for most of today.
I had already planned on not having breakfast in the dining car. They have a cafe in the observation car for more suitable breakfast foods. Based on the feedback I have been overhearing about the dining car breakfast…just don’t do it.
It is finally lunchtime! I sat with a woman who has been battling her health for many years, and only has part of her foot. She left before I was done, so I was joined by a woman originally from Scotland who works here in the States as a payroll accountant for movies. She has been doing that for many years and has met a significant amount of well-known actors and actresses, but could not share anything about their personalities of course. It is still cool to be in the presence of someone who has been in the presence of so many, and yet be so nonchalant about it all. She is also a painter and likes traveling. Her husband is more of a homebody, so he stays home while she travels, and they are perfectly happy! Awesome!
The workers on this train are amazing. One serve got so many jokes, and another is super sweet and gives me free refills on my iced tea. Today’s chocolate mousse was also free. She is going to show me the belt buckles she’s made. Everyone here is so versatile, and the dynamic of the atmosphere is something you really can’t experience any other way. It’s just a matter of opening up and having a conversation.
“You guys know why I don’t get electrocuted on the train?” … “I’m not a conductor.” Haaa
The train stopped to refill gas or whatever it uses, so I got out of the train to stretch my legs. I hung out with the other blogger I met earlier. They originally said thirty minutes, but it ended up being ten, and we both had to run back to the train when they announced the train was about to leave. Oops.
I am hanging out with the workers again for a bit, and helping Joyce, the worker who gives me free food, with her arts and crafts. She is from Chicago and said she’d take me out for pizza and drinks when we arrive in Chicago!
I left to go visit the observation car again until dinner time. I have another 1.5 hours to go but I am starving. As usual. There is really no happy medium here. I am either full on the verge of throwing up or starving to the point where I can feel my stomach eating itself.
I go to the dining car a half hour early haha oops, but Joyce puts me back to work on gluing rhinestones.
Dinner is apparently on Joyce, as is the rest of my food until the train arrives in Chicago. Yay! I had the steak, but she had the chef put seasoned bell peppers on top of it too, which is not a menu option, sorry. Aaaaand I am full. I am still having icecream…but it just melts and fills in the gaps of the fullness level rather than actually making it rise. I’m gross, but I have to justify this somehow. The girl next to me was struggling with the “spoon” that comes with the ice cream, and I was laughing my a$$ off because that is totally something I would do. Surprisingly I didn’t…very surprising.
SIXTEEN hours from one end of Montana to the other!
I went to the bathroom to do some laundry, brush my teeth and hair (*cries at the painful memories*), and then ended up talking to a girl who came into the lounge area of the bathroom for like 1.5 hours. We talked grad school, creative writing, long distance relationships, etc.
I went back to my seat, and Joyce came over to tell me that Ricky apparently has a crush on me. Haha I told them I have a boyfriend (even though I don’t currently…or do I? I actually have no idea what is happening with the guy I’ve at least been talking to and hanging out with). Joyce was like “I just had to let you know. When you see him tomorrow, maybe namedrop the boyfriend a little bit haha us girls have to stick together!”
I like Joyce. She has a past with the Chicago drug culture. Heroin was her drug of choice. She had to get a blood transfusion at age 21, then contracted Hep. C. Of course it was the bad kind that they couldn’t use the regular treatment they had at the time. She is okay now and got her life together. She has been working with Amtrak for 28 years and is retiring in two years to focus on her art and take care of her elderly mom. That is really great! Peoples’ life stories…I just can’t get enough. One of the main reasons why I love traveling the way I do…
Ok I am signing off now. Good night! Let’s hope my braid stays in tact.
The World Unfiltered 