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To begin

For the first hour and a bit of my journey to Chicago I drive up to a station called University Park. There I leave the car. The second half of my journey to Chicago is on the Metra.

metra

trains

sitting room

metra

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train

The Metra. A train designed to move as many people as possible from where they were to where they want to be. No frills. No bows. No luxury. The trains are not pretty. Or comfortable. Or Glamorous.   Shiny and clean at the beginning of the day. Scratched up and tired at the end. But I have always been attracted to the strong, confident, determined lines of practical machinery. The starkness. We need not speculate as to its use. There is no mystery. Steps. Seats.  Move. Stop.  Get on. Get off. Done.

Honest.

Tickets Please!

I hope you had a lovely day yesterday, minding the shop for me. I had a great day. I love the city. I love the country. I love being with many people and I love being alone.  Actually I pretty much love wherever I am. This is a result of being a bit of a gypsy. A gypsy without a caravan.  A happy little gypsy. Plus I snagged my Rent a Kid and brought him home with me for another few weeks.

I hope we all have a lovely day today.

celi

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36 responses to “To begin”

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  2. I’m quite fond of trains because of their possibilities to take you somewhere. As kids in a small rural town we were fascinated by them. Now days they whizz past my door and I travel in one most days. They have their downsides but are convenient. During my daily commute I sometimes think of Amtrak, which although 15 years ago, I enjoyed my train trips from LA to San Diego to San Francisco. It was a very civilized way to travel and see the countryside, and from an Aussie traveler POV quite economical and very efficient.

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  4. If you end up taking the Metra during rush hour, take a look out the window at the “express”way – it usually is a giant parking lot while you’re zipping along at a nice clip. Amtrack used to be separate railroad companies who all worked hard to prove they were the most on-time company. Amtrack has no competition and is fouled up with the government, no wonder it’s always late.

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  7. People in Tokyo would find it hard to believe the Metra is actually working. Where are hordes – the mass of Zen wannabes – pushing, shoving, stepping on, elbowing, rushing? Interesting emptiness – a symbol of the Illinois prairie? On another note entirely, a friend who is as comfortable in Canada’s northern bush/mountains as he is in a huge city, used to amaze me. I’d be madly trying to orient myself as he stood quietly over me, pointing. In the correct direction! Unrattled by the cacophony of chaos.

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  9. I can so relate to that statement – “Actually I pretty much love wherever I am. This is a result of being a bit of a gypsy. ” A happy little gypsy, that’s me as well.

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