There She Goes…

Editor’s note: I’m trying something new with this blog entry. Instead of writing a whole summary of my 3 day and 10 hours tour of Canada, from one end to the other, I’m documenting my running thoughts without filter.

Day 1 – all aboard (Vancouver)

• Sitting in the first class lounge. Guitar player serenedes the room full of old people. I bring the median age down to 50. Maybe 55 years old.
• I’m in a berth with no one below me. The only people near me are an Italian couple who are pissed they booked berths. They’re speaking Italian but I could tell they do no like it all. The man wants booze but its only complimentary champagne. They think they belong in the prestige class but they were too cheap to book anything but a sleeper. They just kissed in the dome car. I hope they don’t keep me up tonight. I just learned they are getting off at the next stop (tomorrow evening). Yay!
• My sleeper berth looks surprisingly comfortable…pillows, a comforter, sheets. Pleasantly surprised and trying to remember if I’ve ever been in a sleeper train before. I don’t remember

Day 2 lots of ya’ll and southern drawl (Stop in Jasper)

• My sleeper was super comfortable. The only thing jarring me awake from full restful sleep was the movement of the train along the tracks. To the left, to the right, downhill slope. Upside down?!

• There’s a group of Texas tourists. All very friendly and kind ma’am. They say hello to everyone and I find myself connnected to “home” even if these people do not look or sound like me. Californians DO NOT have an accent. We don’t need one, our personalities are accented enough.
• It’s raining and misty this morning. I’m in the dome car and there’s rain covering the windows. I’ts hard to take photos from a moving train but I will.
• Everything gets returned to nice bench seats during the day time. And all my stuff fits nicely into a little shelf since I’m alone, this is all my space.

• The train is really rocking back and forth at a fast speed. I’m having trouble not getting motion sickness with all the movement happening. I need to keep the Dramamine on me at all times. This is nuts. Almost time for lunch. I hope I can hold it down as I didn’t really eat breakfast.
• I sat at a table with 2 older women and a 14 year old for lunch time. She really brings the median age down more than I do. At least I still look young. Old lady #1 has never traveled internationally except to Canada – “why go anywhere else when America has so much to offer.” She owns a 100-acre farm and her small-town safeness comes shinning through.She has 100 pecan trees. I’m the opposite. I’d rather see what the world has to offer.
• Saw the pyramid falls from the lunch car. No good pic of them but they were fierce. Yaaasssss.
• An attendant walked by and asked me if I needed anything. He’s a young guy and started chatting me up. He just told me I have really good energy. And here I was feeling really isolated. He said talk to the old people on the train, they “have really good stories.” I should do that. I should also pluck the stray chin hair I noticed this morning in case he comes back. I don’t want him to think Americans are unkempt. And let’s face it, I’m rather vain.
• I’m now in the panorama car and I can see a river and waterfalls off the sides of the mountain. There’s even snow at the tops of the peaks. It’s a really scenic journey and so far I’m finding lots of ways to entertain myself without internet. Next stop Jasper to let people out (so long annoyed Italians)… i need some fresh Canadian air, eh?

Day 3 – the girl on the train

• Another restless night on the train. We changed time zones so the sun was still out at 10:30p..it’s hard to sleep when your brain thinks it’s only 5p
• I’m famous. Well at least in Canada and at least on this train. I walked into the car where games and coffee/pastries await me each morning. The attendant looked at me and asked “are you the gal that’s traveling for 6 months?” I responded, “that’s me. Am I famous?” So many nice strangers on the train have wished me luck – one even said, “good luck San Diego!” So now I’m famous and have a nickname on the train.
• Today at lunch I sat next to the guitar player again, sigh, and across from a Canadian couple with the YUGEST accents ever (see what I did there, she said “huge” like the Donald but absolutely hates him). The woman called me “brave” and suggested I wear a Canadian flag pin so people leave me alone. .I think I might take her up on that
• What about me says “come talk to me” especially to older men. I was standing outside the train for one of our short stops and an Israeli man came up to me and started talking. Asking me a lot of questions like where I was staying in Toronto. Creepy vibes. Hey buddy, my eyes are up here. He also said he was going to try to find me on the train. Please don’t.
• Craft beer tasting in the game room and I’m the only one. So I got extra large pours talked the girl up ensuring I’d get some free beer out of the deal.

• And Mr. Israeli found me – I thought our cars were separate enough that he wouldn’t. And he has now seen where I sleep. I bid him farewell with an “ok, see you.” So now I’m sleeping with a little pair of scissors from a manicure kit I have with me just in case. I pray to the Universe his curiosity is just that of most people – cute girl, why is she traveling alone?

Day 4 – Brave girl.

• Another restless night – a combination of Mr. Israeli and the jerking of the train like a bat out of hell. I think the crew just wanted to get home already so we booked it to Winnipeg. Every time I fell asleep, I was thrust around to the other side and felt like I was going to be flung out of my berth – at least this time, I’m in a lower berth so the fall will be less impactful.
• I’m almost done reading “the subtle are of not giving a f%^&” It’s a really easy read and the writer has a style similar to my own. My new mantra this trip is “who gives a f%^&??” Seriously, my hair is a mess. My scalp is dry and shedding like crazy. My clothes don’t match and I DONT CARE.
• Met the nicest couple at lunch today. The man and I talked serial killers and morbid stuff (things people usually save for after dessert). He said I was very brave and to not “end up like the victims” we had been discussing. In a strange way this was the best “be careful” warning I’ve gotten – certainly the most memorable
• Party of 1 – train travel makes it abundantly clear that you’re flying solo. At meal time, you are sat at tables with strangers, most of whom are couples (even if not in the romantic sense like a mother and son). Today the only open seats were sitting backwards so they had to fix me a table by myself. I don’t mind. I’m kind of tired of the small talk and maybe getting sick.

Day 5 – trains in Canada run late. Guaranteed

• Slept better with the help of 2 Unisome. Heard some train gossip at breakfast – someone got pulled off the train and was arrested! I thought for sure it was Mr. Israeli but it wasn’t (I saw him at another one of our short 10 minute stops). The guitar player said he’d find out for us as this is the most exciting the train has been for the past 4 days or so.
• Had 2 craft beers at lunch (5% ABV). I’m now singing to myself in my empty car as we still have 4 more hours on this train. Crap!!!

Overall, the train was 10 hours delayed and even though it was nice, I don’t think I’ll ever ride it again. I’m glad to have done it at least.