Passport Express, Post 3 of 3: The Train

For the final post about the Passport Express voyage, I wanted to highlight the experience of traveling by Amtrak across the country. Throughout the course of the two week trip, we ate, slept, photographed, chatted, danced, and lived in between our observation car and sleeping car.

Sure, there wasn't a ton of space, and climbing over my poor roommate Phil's face every night to get to the top bunk was probably not his favorite part of the trip, but the close quarters forced us into an intimacy that's hard to convey. Like air travel, you're in a confined space, but unlike air travel, there's a freedom to move about, to explore, and to engage. At any given time I could be in my bunk/cabin, sometimes alone or talking with Phil, sit in the observation car quietly alone with my thoughts watching the world go by, or, engage with one of the 34 other passengers. This included good chats, sharing stories, sharing photos, sharing drinks, sharing hugs, and sometimes, sharing crazy dance parties that lasted until too late at night.

One of the most amazing things about train travel is also what you see. Just staring out the window was a mesmerizing experience. Often the train would go where no roads would, allowing us peeks at slices of different places. Many of us left our cameras permanently in the observation car, ready to be picked up at a moments notice as the scenery zoomed by.

I can't begin to thank Passion Passport and Amtrak enough for the opportunity to take this trip with them. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful.