It's Stranger on a Train

I never thought I'd say it, but I LIKE taking the train.

Downside...leaving at 2am.
The one upside of this is stopping by Amelie's for coffee and a snack. Very nice way to send someone off. :) Last time NO ONE was on the train. This time....I think everyone in town was on it and going to NY. We got there early, but missed baggage check because they boarded really early. I don't know why. So I had to lug my baggage onboard. It wasn't terribly bad...until I got to Wilmington which has a TON of stairs and I think I had to walk a mile to the elevator.

Downside...there is always a guy chatting with someone on a cellphone at 3am in hushed tones. Yes, he was polite. But it is seriously strange that people talk about....nothing....in the wee hours of the morning.

Upside....the train lulls you to sleep. Last time, I slept quite well. This time...not as well. I think I only got 1 1/2-2 hrs of sleep. Basically, the long ride from Greensboro to just before Lynchburg. I woke up about 5:30 am and waited rather impatiently for 6am so I could have breakfast.

Upside...dining car.
I really look forward to breakfast on the train. I don't see many sunrises, but it makes it more tolorable to be watching scenery and sunrise if you have to be up at such a terrible hour. Yummy coffee...and they gave me refills.

Upside...always getting a window seat. At least I have something to lean against besides my neighbor.

Downside...sitting on the east side of the train in the morning.

Upside...meeting a cool new seat-mate on my trip. We talked quite a bit. When she discovered I had six children, she practically yelled "SHUT UP!!!" and swatted my arm. She apologized later, but I just laughed... Last time, I met a lovely lady from NY and this time, I met a lovely lady from Matthews area who moved there from NYC. VERY interesting lady.

Upside....cool scenery. You travel through the mountains of VA, quaint stations, over MD waterways, past the Jefferson Memorial and you get a great view of the Capitol, and Baltimore which can be...interesting.

I finally arrived in Wilmington at noon. I met my dear friend at about 12:30. We stopped for lunch and had a great time chatting again. It has been so fun catching up on the past 20 years or so.

And finally to my parent's house about 6pm. My brother arrived a little later and we were up until the wee hours of the morning ....packing, packing, packing.... I think I fell asleep at about 3:30 when he left to find a box for some glass lamp shades. I laid down on the floor and the next thing I knew, I woke up and the room was essentially empty. I stumbled to my room at about 5:30 am or so and caught a glimpse of my dad...just getting up. I slept until I heard my mom say..."It's 8am and the movers are HERE!!!" I dashed to the bathroom and threw on some clothes and the rest of the day...was a blur. More on that tomorrow...