I am infamous for being late. Always. But today was an exception. I actually managed to leave home by 10.26 AM, which was four minutes before the agreed departure time (agreed between the man and the wife of-course!). And then began the journey of a lifetime. A nearly 29 hour train ride. As much as I would like to call it a cross-country rail trip, it was actually from the Midwest to the South. Simply put, Chicago to Austin.
Was I nervous? Heck yes! Why was I nervous? 29 hours in a train. Ridiculous idea. So said my mind, heart and soul even while I was booking the tickets. Crowd. Fancy spending a day with strangers? I don't! Even worse, sharing the loo. No way! What else. I was skeptical about the crowd. What sort of people really take trains (or rather not fly)? Assuming that they plan well ahead in time and don't book their tickets two days before the d-day when the fare from mid to south is equivalent to mid to trans-Pacific upto trans-English channel. Finally the luxury of being married, and particularly to a husband who is extremely caring, has ensured that I am always guided (I don't mean guarded). Physically or like a GPS. Raghav doesn't think very highly of me when we are talking directions. Neither does anyone else.
Well, to fast forward, I did manage to take the train. On time. This I did after casting lots about whether to go or not to Texas abroad the Texas Eagle 21. The said YES unfortunately.
Its been a fun ride so far. Spent 7 hours in the train so far. Not enough to pass a verdict. Probably that's why I decided to write this entry and say that I M LOVIN IT so far. I totally see myself pulling out my hair by the time the train tromps to Austin.
I also want to thank Jeffrey Archer. I love you Jeff. You made this journey bearable. Actually fun. Until now. How? A Quiver Full of Arrows. More than half way through already. Sigh. I do have a Paulo Coelho but am a bit skeptical about whether I would enjoy him again. Enjoy him. Urrr.
My pack of peanuts has been fun too. How much? Probably two inches by the time I am back to Chi-town.
And guess what, I am carrying my Kellogg blanket for the night. Raghav was gifted the blanket, along with other trivia, as a token of appreciation for his long hours as the Adcom reader. And look who gets to use it!
My bag that I have been told to clutch to my heart, just after my dear life, also deserves a mention. My husband has ensured that I carry three credit cards and keep them at three different places so that losing my bag doesn't mean that I am stranded. Well, but I am to guard my bag dearly for the iPad because in there lies my savior, a zillion movies that Raghav has downloaded for me knowing well that I wouldn't ever watch them under any other circumstances.
More about the interesting people around in my follow-up post tomorrow after I have pulled every hair out of my scalp.
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