soooo, we got our wedding pictures.
but, that's not what i want to talk about. the topic on my mind lately is this: TRAINS. that's right. trains. ever since the tender age of 7, when i had my first taste of MARTA, riding to the braves game in atlanta, i have loved riding trains. however, living where i do ("what's trains? WE GOT NASCAR!!") i don't often (read: ever) get to ride a train. for example, when we went on our last family vacation, i forced my dad to, first, ride Space Mountain 3 times, and then, ride the monorail all the way around disney world.
anyway, my family and all my friends are like, "lindsay, i know you're eccentric, but talking about trains is really pushing the limit. at least pretend to be relevant."
BUT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW RELEVANT I AM. yes, all caps was necessary for that.
i've been reading this book about the future of passenger rail in america ("waiting on a train" by james mccommons), and i have been fascinated! america used to be the world leader in railway systems, and now, thanks to our over-reliance on cars and trucks, our rails are deteriorating and pathetic. as a consequence, the highway systems are growing too crowded and in many areas cannot be further expanded. having an efficient and modern passenger rail system would alleviate that stress on the highways and also give americans an alternative to flying or driving.
i just think that riding a train somewhere would be so much more preferable to driving. you can just sit and watch out the window and let someone else drive, also without the hassle of flying and airports. if there was more than one train per day to atlanta, i would totally take the train home instead of driving. but, there's only one per day and it leaves at 2:30 pm, which is a completely inconvenient time.
so, i say all this to say that trains will be relevant, i hope, in the near future, because more and more people will recognize how great it would be to not have to drive everywhere. i have grand schemes for riding trains, you know.
All these years of being BFFs and I never knew anything about your love of trains. I like it! It's interesting!
ReplyDeleteYou know Lauren, right? When her ex-husband lived in Portland, she took a train ride across the country to visit him. Maybe if Daniel gets the job in Portland you and Andrew could visit him and take the train to and fro - that would be really fun! Especially with a travel companion.
Sorry I haven't called you back. I'm talked out & tired... thanks for praying, though.
From your mouth to God's ears, Lindsay. Trains are my FAVORITE way to travel (trains are the best, airplanes are the most exciting, cars are the most convenient and walking/biking is the healthiest).
ReplyDeleteAnd trains are totally relevant. (Especially to the hordes of interested European readers that check out your site.)
Here's to train expansion in the USA!