I made it!
That’s really all there is to it. Eight months of ups and downs and round-and-rounds, and here I am, right back where I started and yet nothing like I was before I left.
The train home from Chicago was everything I wanted it to be. While the American rail system might not be as developed as the European, Amtrak has done their best to make up for that. The double decker train was spacious and comfortable. I could recline my seat and stretch my legs out all the way, even in coach. There was free water and a sit down restaurant in addition to the snack bar, toilets that actually stayed clean throughout the 32 hour ride. I even slept well, once I’d given in to my thin blood and put on a third layer of clothing.
The down side, on the other hand, was that our lovely train had to share the rails with all the other not lovely trains. By which I mean we had to keep pulling off to the side to let freight trains pass, making our schedule a guideline at best. That was okay though, I wasn’t in a hurry, and the scenery was usually pretty nice. The midwest is, of course, the midwest; lots of flat planes and cornfields. I caught a glimpse of the St. Louis Arch just before I decided to turn in for the night. When I woke up as we crossed into Texas though… Texas is beautiful, in case you didn’t know, and I’m not just saying that because I live here. The sunrise over the East Texas woods might just beat most of the natural wonders I’ve seen this trip.
Comfortable as I was with my food and books and neck pillow, there were quite a few other passengers getting stir crazy by the time we reached San Antonio. A young man one row back and across the aisle from me actually looked like he was about to have a panic attack. Nevertheless, if you come prepared, with the idea that it’s the journey and not the destination, train travel is wonderful, even in the states.
I suppose that was the theme for this entire trip though. Yes, I loved seeing every place I went, but I liked getting there almost as much. The exploring is more important than the finding, the experience more than the sight. As I said at my welcome home family dinner, I would repeat the trip in heartbeat, though I don’t think I would do it again. Backpacking across vast distances is fun, but I don’t need to do the same places twice. I’d like to go back and stay a while, or backpack somewhere new. In the meantime though, a few superlatives I’ve noticed by which to remember the trip.
Best Nature: Switzerland
Best City: Copenhagen
Best Food: Portugal
Best Festival: Slovenia
Best Weather: Spain
Most Pleasant: The Dutch
Most Crowded: Prague
Most Nerdy: Brussels
Most Unexpected: Budapest
Most Dangerous: Berlin
Most Unexplored: Germany
And so with that I bid you all adieu. Au revior, aufweidersehn, adios, and ciao. Until the next blog and the next grand adventure!
That’s really all there is to it. Eight months of ups and downs and round-and-rounds, and here I am, right back where I started and yet nothing like I was before I left.
The train home from Chicago was everything I wanted it to be. While the American rail system might not be as developed as the European, Amtrak has done their best to make up for that. The double decker train was spacious and comfortable. I could recline my seat and stretch my legs out all the way, even in coach. There was free water and a sit down restaurant in addition to the snack bar, toilets that actually stayed clean throughout the 32 hour ride. I even slept well, once I’d given in to my thin blood and put on a third layer of clothing.
The down side, on the other hand, was that our lovely train had to share the rails with all the other not lovely trains. By which I mean we had to keep pulling off to the side to let freight trains pass, making our schedule a guideline at best. That was okay though, I wasn’t in a hurry, and the scenery was usually pretty nice. The midwest is, of course, the midwest; lots of flat planes and cornfields. I caught a glimpse of the St. Louis Arch just before I decided to turn in for the night. When I woke up as we crossed into Texas though… Texas is beautiful, in case you didn’t know, and I’m not just saying that because I live here. The sunrise over the East Texas woods might just beat most of the natural wonders I’ve seen this trip.
Comfortable as I was with my food and books and neck pillow, there were quite a few other passengers getting stir crazy by the time we reached San Antonio. A young man one row back and across the aisle from me actually looked like he was about to have a panic attack. Nevertheless, if you come prepared, with the idea that it’s the journey and not the destination, train travel is wonderful, even in the states.
I suppose that was the theme for this entire trip though. Yes, I loved seeing every place I went, but I liked getting there almost as much. The exploring is more important than the finding, the experience more than the sight. As I said at my welcome home family dinner, I would repeat the trip in heartbeat, though I don’t think I would do it again. Backpacking across vast distances is fun, but I don’t need to do the same places twice. I’d like to go back and stay a while, or backpack somewhere new. In the meantime though, a few superlatives I’ve noticed by which to remember the trip.
Best Nature: Switzerland
Best City: Copenhagen
Best Food: Portugal
Best Festival: Slovenia
Best Weather: Spain
Most Pleasant: The Dutch
Most Crowded: Prague
Most Nerdy: Brussels
Most Unexpected: Budapest
Most Dangerous: Berlin
Most Unexplored: Germany
And so with that I bid you all adieu. Au revior, aufweidersehn, adios, and ciao. Until the next blog and the next grand adventure!
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