Day 1 Departure

Outer

Walking out of Methodist College it is cold, damp, and spitting ice. The parking lot is not full as it is Winter Break. The few cars that are in the parking lot belong to the ones going on the travel trip to New Orleans. Getting into the cold strange car that I had swapped for my own to let the grandparents take for my kids, I realized that I was having major anxiety leaving. I agreed to pick up my roommate at her home and we would drive together. I needed to stop at my house to grab my bags and say goodbye to my children.

Pulling into the driveway you can hear the sound of the two large dogs barking excitedly. They are not much of guard dogs, they like people too much. We walk into my home and at first I did not think anybody was there. It was dark and quiet. I walked through the main floor hallway into the kitchen and yelled down stairs to see if Grandpa and Abel were there. I get a “Mommy!” My son of course begs me not to go. He hangs onto me while I go upstairs to change and grab my bags. My daughter had a cousin over playing in her room and finally came to say goodbye. I say my goodbyes and grab my bags.

We hit the road. It is starting to get dark. It is cloudy, dim, and still spitting ice. The ice is not bad. It was not sticking or making it slick out. The car ride was to be an hour and a half. An hour and a half car ride with a girl I did not know. It was a good time to get to know her. The background noise was the radio station. It was flipped through in between conversation about one another. We arrived two hours early and got dinner and ran to the mall.

The train station…it was dark and damp in the city of Champaign. The train station stands as small multilevel building that holds the train and bus station. The building was on my right and we drove past the station to the underpass parking lot. The parking lot was not full and I parked in the front row. The walk from the car was cold. Teeth were chattering, trying to roll the luggage through the parking lot and up the small hill, it was a short but yet long walk. Walking up to the building a bus was letting passengers off. One gentleman was a tall, dark, older man. He had gray facial hair. He was missing a front tooth and was smoking a cigarette. He asked us as we walked by if we had money for a sandwich. I did not hear what he had asked because I just kept walking. My roommate heard him though. We arrived 45 minutes earlier than we were told to be at the train station. During this time, I found a seat next to an outlet. Met Dr. Wolf who was also coming on this trip as a chaperone. The train station was small. It is not as large as I thought it would have been. In my seat is where I sat most of the time. Listening and watching the others. There was a lot of chattering and laughing going on. It was a good site to see. To the right of me there were a group of my fellow classmates with all their bags. They had a lot of bags.

Boarding the train…. It was finally our time to board. “Methodist Church group to the left” The guy behind the counter called us. We went up to the doors and waited for them to be open. We then waited in line for a few minutes. It was not a long time. Then we waited outside for a few minutes in line as well. There it was. The train on the tracks. Big and silver with red and blue stripes along the side and lots of windows. We were instructed to go to the last car. It seemed like it was a very long walk, but I think it was because of how cold it was outside. We were single filed on one side and the passengers getting off the train were on the right.

Sleeping on the train….We boarded, and we found our seats. The train takes off quickly from each station it stops at. I assume the conductor is who comes over the speaker to announce things. As soon as the train started to roll on the tracks the conductor came over the intercom to inform us that snack station car was closing in 20 minutes. I wanted to walk the train and see what it was like. Walking down the aisle, holding onto seats on both sides, trying not to fall into someone’s lap, we made it through the first car. Opening the door to the next car you get a bit of cold air to the face, as well as the smell of train fumes. It was a bumpy, wobbly ride. Finally, we made it to the snack car and back without falling.

Sleeping on the train. Ever been on a rollercoaster? This is what I would compare sleeping on a train to be like. Except you don’t have the down-hill sensation. Rocking and swaying and bumps all along the track. The sound of the other passengers trying to sleep was all around. Some on computers, some on phones, some snuggled with their blankets and pillows. I was able to have the two seats in my row to myself. I sprawled out as much as I could and put my head at one end and my legs and feet at the other. Trying to close my eyes, all I hear is a squeaking sound. It was of course coming from the chair underneath me. Something inside of the chair arm would squeak whenever we would go over a bump. Finally, I dosed off.

Inner

           

            I can say that I love traveling. I am open for different styles of traveling. I love getting to know new people and have new experiences. Although leaving my kids behind is a whole other story. I did not think I would have the stress and anxiety that I have had. While sitting in the classroom yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks. This is the first time I will be away for a whole week. What are my children thinking? My four-year-old was begging me not to go. He asked me, “why did you sign up for this mommy?” I know I needed this break, I needed to get away from my everyday life. I needed to get out of the normal classroom setting for once and experience a travel course. While leaving the house I just had to put my feelings to the side and get on the road. It was a short hour and half drive. I had my roommate and we kept each other company. We had the opportunity to get to know each other better. We are about to share a room for a whole week, so it was good to have the opportunity. Traveling by train is a whole new experience for me. I have drove, flown, and traveled by ship/boat. The train is not like any of the others. There is not going through security. There is not being late and them waiting for you. There is a last call and then they are on the tracks rolling without you. The train is not a smooth ride. At first I did not like it but as the night and morning have gone on it is okay. Got to give new things a chance. I love watching out the windows and seeing the scenery. Right now it is not anything pretty to look at. It is just muddy, bare, fields, and bare trees. I can imagine what it is like during the spring and summer months. I have already learned a lot about myself during just the first day.

            After my night I am tired and sore but I will manage. We have a long day ahead of us. It is only morning. We do not arrive till later this afternoon. Tonight we have our haunted tour. I want to enjoy it as much as possible. This is what I came on the trip for.