Departure

Departure:

It was frost burn on your lips cold leaving from Champaign train station. I have met some new friends that are ready to experience New Orleans that I think I can have fun with while I’m here. Getting on the train from any step, they had a step stool out for us and help us in if needed. For the first couple of hours of the train ride was ok. Trying to go to sleep was a whole new story. The seats do lean back, but for someone who is used to sleeping in a bed, it was back aching uncomfortable. It was nice that there wasn’t any loud talkers during the night. Donielle was who I sat with and we have leaned on each other to try and get some what comfortable. The train attendants have been very nice as well. Sarah, was the agent at Champaign, you could tell her really enjoys her jobs. She would come and update us on what was going on, but when she would- she would skip to us with her box red hair and bright red lip stick. There is a lovely train attendant from Jamaica on the train, who addresses everyone as love. She says we brought the cold down with us. Donielle and I had a south western chicken wrap for breakfast, the inside of the wrap was good with chicken, eggs, corn and ketchup on top. The attendants put everything in a box for you, which I think is nice, doesn’t fly all over the place like if you were getting something on a plane.  There is a wide range of people on the train: from infants to blind. There is an Amish couple on the plane and I could have sworn he had a flask in his pocket last night when we sat at the tables in the observation car. There is also an elderly person who doesn’t seem to walk very well and smells of urine. Some kids on the train, don’t know if they have parents or not, but seem to be by themselves: a lot of the kids have seen are playing on their phones or listening to music. There is a girl sitting next to us on the food chart, looks to be able 16, but she has a portfolio of drawings: I asked her what she was wanted to do when she grew up- she says she likes to just look at the world and draw. I do know I would hate to live next to the railroad tracks as much as this train blows its horn.

So far what I have learned from this experience is if I ever have to take a train, look into the sleeping bed. Even with a pillow and blanket it still didn’t help with the discomforted and I’m tall so if my feet hung out in the aisle, the people walking by would wake me up by brushing against them. Now that is light outside and getting to see the country side (which being able to see the sun come up was very nice, don’t get to see that too much in the city) I have really taken for granted how I live. I work part time and go to school full time and I feel like I barely get by. But as we get farther south and seeing some of these houses with rust on them, flooded fields, broken down trees, houses up on cement blocks: really makes me appreciate the little apartment I have with the loud kid down stairs who yells at his video games until 2 am. I would also pack differently as well. I would have packed as if I was showering at home because the feeling of greasy hair and unbrushed teeth is gross. I have been worried that I wouldn’t make friends, I am very outgoing a livey person, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is. Hopefully we can all go out together the night we do go out. I do have a friend who lives in New Orleans and he is taking me and my people out, so I am excited to do that.