I got up at the bright and early hour of 5:15 this morning! I don’t think I’ve been up before the sun in a long while (I’m okay with that). The train left Grand Rapids at 6am and I bid my friend farewell and hopped (er, staggered) on, fuzzy-haired and laden with luggage. Despite the early hour, I made an effort to talk with my seat mate instead of dozing off immediately. Seat neighbor is a unique bond, both polite and most of the time very open. One time I spent the entire ride from Boston to Albany talking to the woman next to me. What started off as small, somewhat annoying chitchat turned into a genuine conversation. I told her about my worries surrounding the transition from college to career; she asked me for advice on how to deal with her stubborn teenage daughter.
To the business man next to him, the college student behind me was discussing his passionate dream of becoming a marching band director. As we departed from the train the man said, “Good luck, Justin. I will look for you in the future!” My own seat mate wished me luck on the rest of my journey and I told him to take care with his sailing race on Lake Michigan next week.
Dragging all of my stuff off the train, I realized that this is the only stop along my trip where there won’t be anyone in the station to meet me. I have no trouble navigating strange cities on my own, but there was a little twinge of loneliness when I thought about the hours ahead. In my life I live in an apartment chock-full of people and animals. I am constantly interacting with people; it’s rare that I catch a moment or a meal by myself — so who was going to eat breakfast with me?!
Walking briskly through Chicago, trying not to stare up at the skyscrapers (tourist alert!), I searched from somewhere remotely authentic to grab breakfast (or at least a diner where I could order eggs and coffee. It’s been days since I’ve had my eggs and coffee). Union Station is located in an area packed with businesses and headquarters and tourist attractions, so I was out of luck on the authenticity. I found myself at the Corner Bakery because a) there was free Wi-Fi and b) I was getting hangry. I got my eggs in the form of a panini that wasn’t half bad, and my coffee in a cardboard cup (diner china is, of course, a superior vessel for coffee, but I’m not complaining).
So for now I’m sitting here, catching up on blogs (despite the fact that I’m not in New York, I’m obsessively loyal to All Over Albany), writing, enjoying my coffee. From here it out, it’s to the west we go! See you in Denver!
