Public Transportation: A Piece of Heaven on Earth?

My parents and I decided that instead of flying back to Boston, I am going to take an eight hour train ride. Eight hours on a train with two huge suitcases.

That's not even the weirdest aspect of this story. The weirdest thing is that I am really excited. I am so excited to go on a train. I have been on one before, but never for that long or over such a long distance. Part of me wants to go on an overnight train so I can sleep in a room with a bed (a la White Christmas) and eat in the cafe with strangers (a la North by Northwest).

More than just riding a train, I have realized this summer that I love riding public transportation in general. Each morning I get ready to go to work and leave with a skip in my step knowing that I am going to get to ride the Metro. When I get off of the Metro, I am a little sad the experience is over.

It's not limited to trains and metros, but also buses; any type of public transportation really.

Yea, I'm on the same level as John Candy about public transportation.

I have told some people this realization and while some have expressed understanding, others have not so much. So, I am going to try to tease out some of the reasons for my deep love of public transportation:

5. It is so unique to cities. It is this part of city culture that other people do not understand. When I came to BYU, so many of friends had never ridden on a train and were actually afraid to do so. I could not believe it. Afraid of trains? Why? But honestly, it's probably similar to how I have never gone shooting; there is just major differences between city and country culture. Not that one is better.

4. I grew up in Boston and took advantage of public transportation. As someone who loved to go into Boston and had no license, I used public transportation all the time. Because of this, public transportation feels a little bit like home to me. Seriously. I'm not joking. It's almost a part of my childhood.

3. I love knowing my way around. There is something so thrilling to me to becoming a local in a city and being able to pick out the tourists or others new to the city who have no idea how to use public transportation. They don't know the unspoken law of public transportation (1. stand right, walk left 2. no loud talking 3. walk as fast as you can, etc.) It makes it even better when you make eye contact with another local and laugh at the newcomers. It makes me smile on the outside and inside. Oh silly tourists, the metro is for locals.

2. Something about public transportation is peaceful to me. On trains, I always read or just let my mind wander off. Public transportation is a break from the rest of the world. It is so relaxing. Some of my greatest insights (including this realization that I love public transportation) come while I am riding public transportation.

1. This is somewhat connected to number 4, but I love the random times when you bond with strangers for some random thing that happened. For example this morning on the metro, our conductor made some jokes over the loud speaker. Everyone laughed out loud. I watched this old white lady and young latino teenage boy look at each and smile. I myself laughed with a random man standing next to me. For a second, we were all together.

Another time, a pregnant woman came onto a crowded train. She just stood when a young punkish dressed teenage stood up to let her have his seat. A big smile came across her face as she sat. I looked at that and was inspired. Now, I am always looking for people to give my seat to. And I don't think I was the only one who noticed it.

So, is there any question why I would be so excited to ride a train? Not only all of those reasons, but trains seem particularly old hollywood. They seem really romantic (not in the love way, but in the way Anne Shirley meant it... but not excluding former).

Thus, I find myself not only looking forward to going home because I get to spend time with my great family, but also because I get to take an 8 hour train ride.

Me in 5 weeks. I'm peaceful...and fed.

Imagine what insights I'll have by the end of that ride...